Men Who Mentor: Meet Peter
In honor of National Mentoring Month, Walk With Sally is honoring all of our mentors who contribute to our organization! We are so grateful for our volunteer mentors and all that they contribute to the Walk With Sally community. One mentor, Peter Phelps, is a cancer survivor, and just celebrated his first anniversary after being matched with his mentee, Matthew, in December 2018. They have enjoyed many Walk With Sally activities together, including our Holiday ice skating event and our Easter egg painting at Rock & Brews in April.
Peter’s Journey to Becoming a Mentor
Peter was diagnosed with testicular cancer at 19 years old and has now been cancer free for 10.5 years. He became involved with Walk With Sally to help support others who are dealing with the impact of cancer and said, “What really helped me through this time in my life was [that I] have a great support system of family and friends. I think with any hard time, it helps to have positivity around you and know that one isn’t taking this path alone. I was at an age older than WWS mentees, but I did make a few friends through my journey that have gone through cancer as well. No matter what the age, having a person or persons to relate to helps more than one thinks.”
Healing through Mentoring
At Walk With Sally, we believe that in addition to supporting children and families in need, becoming a mentor also helps adults in their own healing and processing of their cancer experiences. In Peter’s experience, he has been able to learn from his mentee and admires his strength and courage: “[Matthew] is truly a role model for me seeing his demeanor and how strong he is at such a young age. Once you go through cancer, you are able to connect with others who have on a different, almost unexplainable, level. We thrive off seeing others overcome and continue their lives in a strong manner. You never want to see someone younger than you struggle in any fashion of life. Seeing the strength of the mentees able to overcome the effects of cancer is so humbling to me. To go through that at such a young age really shows the strength of these young kids and shows how they are setting themselves up for successful lives in their future”.
Become a Mentor Today!
Peter also shared some advice for any men considering becoming a mentor: “Don’t be nervous to do so. Everyone’s story, no matter how big or small, is a story. I personally felt a little different about it as I was the one affected and haven’t necessarily had someone close to me affected. I still think it is very relatable to all people involved in WWS…I would say no matter what, put yourself out there. The goal is to help others so move beyond the initial fear and focus on the end goal”.
To become a WWS mentor, contact [email protected] or call 310-322-3900 today!
