Major League Baseball and the Prostate Cancer Foundation teamed up this year to form the Home Run Challenge in honor of Father's Day. Their gift to father's across the country: for each home run hit in 60 selected games between June 6 and today, June 17, raised money for prostate cancer, the second most common cancer for men in the United States.

Some fans of this cause made pledges; some posted online tributes to their dads at Dockers San Francisco. For every message submitted, the company donated one dollar. Some messages were even shown in Times Square for all to see.

I just checked the status of the Home Run Challenge on this Father's Day morning and found the most updated total of home runs to be 91. Leading the accomplishment are Ken Griffey, Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and Alfonso Soriano. The current Team Home Run leader: the Cincinnati Reds.

I just took the Great American Health Challenge -- an on-line quiz offered by the American Cancer Society -- and after just a few minutes of answering a few questions about my age; weight; height; family history; and eating drinking, smoking, and exercise habits, up popped my very own Health Action Plan.

My plan was quite revealing and listed both the good and not-so-good facts about my lifestyle.

I learned that my weight is normal -- whew! -- and that I seem to have an active enough fitness routine. More is always better, though, I was informed. I digested the fact that I don't eat enough whole grains and probably need more low-fat dairy in my diet. I was commended for not smoking and not drinking. And I was encouraged to limit sugars because they are high in calories and low in nutritional content.

My plan came to me ready to print so I can take it to my next medical appointment where my physician can help guide me toward healthier living.

American Cancer Society experts say the Great American Health Challenge can help those who take it to lower their risk of cancer. Get checked, get moving, nourish your body, and quit smoking, they say.

It only takes five minutes to get started. So click here and start now.

I'm headed for a Saturday morning workout with my fitness trainer. For one hour, I will physically challenge my body and emotionally charge my spirits. I will sweat and pant and if I am required to do the inner thigh exercise, I will scream. I will also whine -- it's in my nature -- and I will push, pull, bounce, balance, lift, squat, lunge, and run until it's quitting time. I will fall short on some of my exercise expectations. And I will surprise myself and exceed others. In the end, I will feel accomplished, strong, motivated, and ready to tackle the day.

I'm making a comeback. I have come back from the depths of cancer and all of its accompanying treatment, and I have invited this powerhouse of a girl to transform me. She has accepted the challenge -- and she has helped me evolve from a weak, shaky, dizzy cancer patient to a semi-strong, 5K-running breast cancer survivor with biceps that are almost visible at a close distance.

This spunky fitness girl -- also an accomplished kick boxer, wife, and mom of two little ones -- has accepted another one of my challenges. I asked her to share some of her health and fitness expertise so that we all may reap the benefits. And so she kindly extracted some important tidbits from her vast library of knowledge and concisely crafted the responses that follow.

Take it from Fitz Koehler -- exercise and healthy eating habits are key for survival. For all of us. Cancer survivors included.

Why is fitness important for everyone?

100% of the population needs to exercise in some way. For the most part, if you're not working to get stronger, you're going to get weaker. Whether it's tummy time as an infant, gym class as a kid, weight training as an adult, or short walks as a senior, in order to live well and live long, we must eat well and exercise. Plus, a fit lifestyle prevents so many horrible ailments and diseases -- heart disease, some cancers, diabetes, GERD. Who wants any of that?

I am in a slump. I feel tired and slow and unmotivated. And ever since October 14 -- when I ran in the 5K Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event -- I can't seem to find the inspiration to exercise. I am making myself do it -- here and there -- but my usual drive and push and spunk are missing. Typically, I crave exercise and feel lethargic if I don't accomplish some sort of daily physical challenge. But for the past week or so, I have no craving, no desire to walk or run or lift weights, no appetite for my usual fitness routine. I am just plain tired.

Fatigue is a common side effect of cancer treatment -- even years after treatment ends, according to some experts. So perhaps my drop in energy and enthusiasm is due to the cumulative effect of my own treatment for breast cancer that just ended in June. My treatment spanned almost two years. Maybe it's no surprise my body is lagging behind my expectations for physical health.

Experts also say exercise helps combat fatigue. I believe this -- it's why I usually like exercise. It boosts my adrenaline, perks me up, makes me feel alive. If only I could get back into the swing of things, these feelings might come flooding back. But right now, I am not even thinking about how to find my old groove. I am just too tired.

I've written twice before about a young woman named Diem Brown. I first wrote in August about her appearance as a contestant on MTV's Real World/Road Rules Challenge reality show. I wrote about how despite a recent diagnosis of ovarian cancer, she took herself to Australia to compete in physical and mental challenges with other spunky 20-something competitors. Brown, 25, fought for a cash prize of $250,000 -- while fighting cancer at the same time.

Brown did not win the grand prize, but she did win the admiration and respect of her castmates who on an MTV reunion show applauded her tireless and heroic efforts. In my second post, in September, I wrote about Brown's presence on the reunion show, about her strength, about the great mindset she acquired prior to returning home from Australia for treatment. I wrote about her foundation -- Live for the Challenge -- a wedding-type registry that allows patients to register for prescriptions, wigs, anything that helps them manage their illnesses. I did not write about the wig Brown wore on the show -- but it was apparent she had lost her long, blond hair and was masking the most visible side effect of chemotherapy.

Brown reluctantly yet powerfully unveiled her head on national television just a few nights ago during the beginning of another MTV Real World/Road Rules Challenge. During this installment -- The Duel -- Brown competes again, this time with the shortest of brown hair covering her scalp and with a fierceness that rivals anything she's offered on past shows.

Brown is back. She's in Brazil. And she is beating cancer.

I just ran three miles on my treadmill. I have never been the athletic one in my family. My sister is the one who was born with the athletic streak -- she played softball and lettered in tennis after giving the sport a try with no previous experience and may have helped her high school basketball team win a state championship if it weren't for the major knee injury she suffered just before the big game. I, on the other hand, was born with a streak that has something to do with hair, nails, and lots of shoes. I was never interested in sports, gym shorts, or sweating -- which is what makes running three miles a big deal for me.

I wish I had started running long ago -- because I really like it. I like the loud music that pumps through my MP3 player and the change in my cadence as each new song begins. I like the motivation of knowing I'm pushing my body and accomplishing a physical challenge. I like that my endurance improves with each mile I travel. I like the mental release and the thoughts that run through my head and the cleansing effect I get from running. And I like sweating.

It's possible running would not have appealed to me long ago, even if I had given it a try -- because times were different long ago. I was healthy. I was happy. And I had no reason to marvel at the possibilities of my body. Without a natural impulse for physical fitness and challenge, I was completely satisfied with the status quo. But now I have an acquired impulse -- because cancer has threatened the very body I once took for granted. And I want it to be strong. I want it to be healthy. I want it to stand up to any possible threat. So I run. And when I am not running, I look forward to running.

In just a few weeks, I will run in the 5K Making Strides for Breast Cancer event with my athletic sister. I will run by her side. With my loud music for motivation. With the inspiration that I am making a difference for my body and for women everywhere. With my gym shorts on. And a ball cap covering my hair. With sweat dripping down my face. I can't imagine a better feeling.

Ryder Cup golfer Darren Clarke lost his wife Heather to breast cancer last month. Clarke has not played competitively since July 21 when he took time off from golfing to care for his wife. Since her passing, Clarke has been thinking and regrouping and mourning the loss of his 39-year-old wife and mother of their two young sons. Now, he is ready to re-enter the world of golf. He is ready, he says, for the upcoming Ryder Cup.

Clarke says his game is good and while his decision to return to his sport was tough, he is returning only because he knows he can fully contribute. And he knows his wife would have wanted him to play so he made himself available for selection. Clarke could not have qualified automatically due to the time he took off to care for Heather but he was eligible to be selected -- and he was. Clarke is grateful and prepared for the challenge. "I am stronger altogether," he says. "I've had to face up a lot of tough things. I hope I've come through it a better person."

The most recent season of MTV's Real World/Road Rules Challenge reality show has just ended. Customary after each season finale is a reunion show -- where a sampling of contestants recap their experiences, answer questions, confirm or dispel show rumors, and update viewers on the status of their post-television lives. The winners -- a twosome who took home $250,000 -- sit front and center at the reunion and get to bask in the glory of the physical and mental prowess that allowed them to win the big bucks. Two contestants clearly won -- they have the money to prove it. But another contestant -- who didn't take home a dime -- is the true winner in my book.

Diem Brown, 25, was cast on the MTV challenge show before she knew she had ovarian cancer. But prior to the start of the show, Brown did know of her diagnosis -- and she still decided after just a few treatments to head for Australia where she competed in physical stunts and tough competitions. The producers never knew of Brown's illness and she confided in only two castmates while she battled through fatigue and nausea to complete her own personal survival mission. She succeeded -- and she returned home victorious in her own right. And she has no regrets.

On the reunion show, Brown said the show made her more fierce, that she came out of the experience a stronger person, that she tried her hardest, put everything on the line, and didn't feel sorry for herself. And it put her mindset in a great place prior to returning home for continued treatment.

And now Brown is home. She is receiving treatment. And she is managing her foundation -- Live for the Challenge -- a wedding-type registry
where patients can register for wigs, prescriptions, anything critical to the management of their illness.

Ovarian cancer affects one in 50 women, mostly in a silent fashion -- with no overt symptoms until it's often too late. And there is currently no accurate screening for this life-threatening disease that can have tragic outcomes.

Brown seems to be managing just fine with the cancer she calls "the disease that whispers." She is strong, spunky, enthusiastic and positive about life, about her future. She is clearly a winner.

MTV is currently airing another installment of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge reality show. This season -- called Fresh Meat -- pairs former show contestants with individuals who have never before appeared on any MTV reality show. These new contestants -- the fresh meat -- compete with the veterans in tense and strenuous physical and mental challenges for an array of prizes and for a grand award of $250,000. Winning the money could be life-changing for any one of these participants. But for one woman, it could also be life-saving.

Diem Brown, 25, was cast on the MTV challenge show before hearing her diagnosis of ovarian cancer. She didn't want to regret passing on the opportunity so with two chemotherapy treatments completed and armed with medication to manage nausea and other side effects, she packed her bags and headed for Australia where her days consisted of challenging stunts and tough competition. She survived it all -- although fatigue and pain sometimes slowed her down -- and she is busy surviving ovarian cancer too.

Brown has started a foundation called Live for the Challenge -- kind of like a Make-A-Wish Foundation for patients who are stuggling with medical difficulties. And her own personal wish is that ovarian cancer -- "the disease that whispers" -- would get a megaphone to attract more attention and more research. Because one in 50 women will get ovarian cancer and with no accurate screening for this disease, it leads to tragic outcomes for many women.

It is clear that Brown is one tough contender -- both on TV and in her everyday life. And that makes her a winner no matter what.

Internationally-known celebrity tattoo artist Mario Barth of Starlight Tattoo has announced a $1 million dollar challenge to local businesses and people in the northern New Jersey community to help raise money to benefit the CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation for childhood cancers.

The Starlight Tattoo website has published statistics that in the last 20 years, the incidence of childhood cancer has grown nearly 27 percent, and scientists and researchers have been unable to account for the increase, or even why cancer in children occur. Barth, who is a father, says "Children are our future. We need to take care of them and nurture them, and show every child of every means that people really do care. Childhood should be a time of learning and fun, not pain and struggle. Every little bit helps."

Barth is a tattoo artist to celebrities including Lenny Kravitz, Jason Kid, members of the Wu Tang Clan, Nikki Six of Motley Crue, members of My Chemical Romance, members of Il Nino, radio host Wendy Williams, comedian Rich Voss and NFL Giants players Jermaine Taylor, Kendrick Allen and David Diehl.

The winner of over 200 international awards for innovative trends, Barth is a consultant and practitioner for Hackensack Cosmetic Surgeons for reconstructive micro pigmentation on cancer patients. He invented and created a series of special inks for use in reconstructive surgery to help patients adjust with a more natural dermal appearance after major operations. To learn more about Barth and Starlight Tattoo, and how to donate to a worthy cause in fighting childhood cancers, visit the Starlight Tattoo website.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer, UK's leading charity committed to fighting breast cancer through research and education, has hands down and without argument, some of the best fundraising campaigns around. They are fun and innovative and trendy. In a recently announced fundraiser, they are inviting gardeners with a "passion for digging, sowing and cultivating their gardens" to host a garden party for friends to raise money for cancer charity -- or to sell cuttings from the garden and donate the proceeds to cancer charity.

According to Breakthrough, Linda Clegg from Keighley, West Yorkshire has been using her garden to raise money for Breakthrough since 2000, she says: "When my friend Norma called to say she had been diagnosed with breast cancer it was a huge shock. She really impressed me when she told me months later, that she had become a £1,000 Challenger. Little did I guess that I too would be diagnosed with breast cancer and subsequently have been bitten by the bug to raise funds for Breakthrough's research."

"It was difficult during my six months of chemotherapy, but my husband was a tower of strength through it all. When I look back now some very positive things to came out of that dreadful time."

Now in its 15th year, Breakthrough's £1,000 Challenge is the charity's longest-running, fundraising campaign. Once a fundraiser reaches the £1,000 target, Challengers can honor someone they love by having their name permanently displayed on the £1,000 Challengers' Wall, at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre. Over 5,000 supporters have become Challengers so far, and to date have raised over £12 million.

The Breakthrough Breast Cancer green-fingered gardening challenge certainly isn't the only fundraiser they have launched. To find out more, go here. Not only can you sign up to participate in existing fundraisers, it's quite possible learning about what people are doing to raise money for cancer research and services will inspire you to original ideas of your own.

On May 24, 2006, The Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation will be launching White Lies, a campaign to raise awareness of the health risks of consuming dairy products. Why You Don't Need Dairy, an event to mark the beginning of the campaign, will feature Heather Mills McCartney as a speaker who will call for milk to be dropped from the nation's diet. At the same time, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, PCRM, a nonprofit health organization comprised of physicians and nutritionists, will be asking consumers to eliminate dairy from their diet for three weeks to see if they notice an improvement in health.

In three short weeks, PCRM is confident those who take the dairy-free challenge will notice immediate benefit in better digestion, easier breathing, better sleep, a lessening of headaches and for sufferers of acne or dermatitis -- clear skin. Health benefits that are not immediately noticeable but of significant value is a reduction in the risk of prostate and ovarian cancer. Research had proven the link between dairy and these two cancers. Because dairy products such as cheese, ice cream, milk, butter, and yogurt all contain high levels of fat, it is reasonable to assume there might be a dairy link to other cancers as well.

The Nutrition Resource Centre of the Ontario Public Health Association, has published Non-Dairy Sources of Calcium, available as a PDF document online, with food suggestions that offer plenty of calcium.

On May 18, the American Cancer Society, ACS, and Weight Watchers is launching the Great American Eat Right Challenge, to continue to raise awareness of the link between obesity and greater cancer risks. According to the ACS, approximately one-third of cancer deaths are linked to dietary factors, such as those that contribute to obesity. By including a plentiful variety on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes -- loaded with antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals -- to your daily diet you can lower the risks of developing cancer.

"For people who don't smoke, maintaining a healthy weight, eating well and being active are the most important things to do to promote health and reduce cancer risk," said Colleen Doyle, MS, RD, director of nutrition and physical activity at the American Cancer Society. The Great American Eat Right Challenge web page offers nutritional and weight loss information and resources for cancer prevention.

Women and girls On the Move Across the Nation is a virtual race where women participate by following routes across the country without leaving their hometowns. The WOMAN Challenge event, which begins May 14 and ends July 8, is sponsored by the Office on Women's Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of National Women's Health Week challenging women and girls to become more physically active.

You register online here, choose a route, wear a pedometer, submit your pedometer reading at the end of each day at the WOMAN Challenge website and see the progress you are making in completing the route. You will receive updates on your progress weekly, as well as motivational emails and valuable health information. They even provide a conversion chart for some activities that are difficult to measure using a pedometer such as riding a bike, gardening or water activities. Did you know that each minute of bike riding is equal to 148 steps -- or -- that each minute of gardening is equal to 73 steps?

All women and girls are welcome to participate, including wheelchair bound women. They have armband pedometers -- so, no excuses. Not sure how to increase the amount of steps you take each day? They offer some suggestions to increase your daily physical activity. Here are a few ideas:

• Park your car in a parking space farther from your destination than you normally would.
• Take your children, dogs, etc. outdoors to play or for a long walk.
• Do some yard work or housecleaning.
• Bike, walk, or wheel to work, to run errands, or to visit friends.
• Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.

Let's get moving! It will be fun. See you at the race. Physical activity and exercise are cancer prevention.

On day three of the race now, friends Mike Dann, Simon Edmundson and Tim Tottenham, known as the ATP team, are into the 350 mile trek across the frozen Artic to the Magnetic North Pole as one of 15 teams taking part in the Sony Polar Challenge North Pole race. Temperatures can get to a frigid -50C. To add to the danger and drama, 80 percent of the world's Polar Bear population live there. Considered one of the world's toughest endurance tests, the teams are expected to reach the destination on April 27. Having just crossed Polar Bear Pass, ATP is one of five leading teams. If you are into extreme sports, and unique adventures, the Polar Challenge teams are keeping daily diaries online, as well as an overall summary of the day's events during the race. They provide an excellent photo gallery, live video and a map. The images are spectacular. The ATP team is raising funds for the Laura Crane Trust.

The Laura Crane Trust was founded in memory of Laura Crane, who died just two weeks after her seventeenth birthday from a complex mix of four types of cancer. The foundation serves teens and young adults living with cancer.