OCNA and Power Juicer teamed up for Jack LaLanne’s 95th birthday in 2009 to raise money towards awareness for ovarian cancer. With the unfortunate passing of Jack LaLanne, the OCNA Board President Annette Leal Mattern now reflects on her time with him.

I never imagined meeting workout icon Jack LaLanne. After all, I was only five years old when he swam, handcuffed, from Alcatraz to San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. I vaguely remembered seeing his TV program when I was just a kid.

Decade after decade, Jack continued his quest to convince us all that we could transform our health through diet and exercise. He entered his 90s with the same enthusiasm as when he bounced around in his old studio, pleading with his viewers to eat healthily. Now he had my attention, for he defied normal aging, and his theories were now being proved by nutritional studies worldwide. Perhaps he was ahead of his time.

Nearly two years ago, a fellow Ovarian Cancer National Alliance board member, Keith Mirchandani, invited the board to Jack’s 95th birthday party. Jack had agreed to create a special teal juicer to honor those coping with ovarian cancer, with a portion of sales coming to the Alliance.

Off we went to Los Angeles for the teal carpet event, where a huge gathering of celebrities and media generated tremendous excitement for our cause. At the party, I spotted a quiet couple sitting in the eye of a storm: Elaine and Jack LaLanne, honored that so many people came to his party but slightly shy about all the fuss.

I approached Elaine and Jack gingerly to thank them for supporting our community and they both lit up. They said that close members of their family had been lost to ovarian cancer. They knew too well what women with ovarian cancer go through, and were happy that their names could help spotlight this disease. It was a personal, touching moment amid the glitz and glamour.

A good friend has been lost, not just to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, but to the world. Jack’s dream was to show us all that if we treat our bodies well, eat right and exercise, we can add years to our lives . . . and he lived that dream. But he also showed us the benefits of living a life of purpose, having great love in his life and approaching each day with a positive attitude; lessons that apply equally well to the survival of cancer.

Thank you, Jack, for inspiring generations of people—not only to honor their bodies, but to live their best lives, to embrace each day as a new opportunity, and to never stop moving.

Annette Leal Mattern, President

Ovarian Cancer National Alliance Board of Directors

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