“Just Keep Swimming,” uttered by Dory in the movie Finding Nemo has become a common refrain for people from all walks of life to persevere when times are tough. At Rainier, the “nature” of our business means we have had many of those moments – drought, floods, and everything in between. With hundreds of business partners, customers, employees and their families depending on us, we try to remember this adage – we put our heads down and do what we have to do to get the job done.

Valerie Niese, a valued shopper with some of our retail partners in Milwaukee, is the embodiment of someone who has not only survived tough times, but thrived while she too has fought to just keep swimming.

After losing her mom to ovarian cancer, she created the annual Nancy’s Run, Rock & Stroll in her memory. It was the first run/walk in Wisconsin to raise awareness about ovarian cancer. Ten years later, the fundraising event is still going strong, with more than $100,000 raised to benefit the Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance.

But if the loss of her Mom felt like a battle she didn’t want to fight, a few years after her mom’s passing, Valerie found herself in a new battle when she was diagnosed at age 35, with Stage 3 breast cancer. While a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation would understandably weaken most people’s resolve, Valerie looked at her situation differently. She didn’t give up and she didn’t get discouraged. She faced the battle with courage, won and was determined to live her life with purpose. To her, surviving was proof that she was given a second chance, and with it, she wanted to make sure other women got theirs.

An accomplished high school track star and outdoor enthusiast with deep roots in Milwaukee, and a deep faith in God, she naturally gravitated towards exploring opportunities to engage her community in physical pursuits. “Just keep running” became the literal and figurative embodiment of this new stage in her life. Shortly thereafter, Sole Sisters Club LLC was born. Valerie initially envisioned the group to be a running club, but it quickly evolved to become much more. Four years later, the more than 1,000 members of the club are invited to regular events designed to inspire, motivate and encourage them to live life to the fullest. This may include a run or a hike, girls’ night out, community outreach projects or a Christian event to connect and restore the soul.

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“To me, living Wholesome to the Core means being true to yourself, listening to your heart, and taking that leap of faith and letting God take over,” said Valerie. “Sole Sisters has given me a platform to make good on my promise to help the world and make it a little better, one person at a time.”

Valerie is like so many of the employees, vendors, customers and fans we meet that make a difference in their communities and the lives of others. We celebrate all the #WholesomeHeroes out there – we celebrate Valerie and all the other women and men who “just keep on swimming;” those that have not only survived but thrived under extraordinarily difficult circumstances and helped others do the same. If you are in the Milwaukee area, look for our products like apples, pears, cherries or blueberries in any of our local retail partners’ stores — Costco, Whole Foods and Pick N’ Save. Be sure to follow us on social media to learn more about living Wholesome to the Core and see more profiles of our Wholesome Heroes like Valerie.