Lindsey’s “𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎”.

Sir Winston Churchhill stated, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” Lindsey Pender, our next Guiding Light recipient, is the epitome of this quote.

Lindsey, a 41 year old wife and mother of two, is a breakaway roper and barrel racer. She lives for giving back. If there is a benefit going on, you can bet Lindsey is in the trenches helping to make it successful. If there is someone struggling with their barrel horse or roping, Lindsey is there offering guidance and generations of knowledge to help. And when the Southeast Circuit breakaway ropers were trying to show that they, too, deserved to be a part of their circuit rodeos, Lindsey was leading the charge in the forefront and behind the scenes as their WPRA spokeswoman. She takes the cowboy way of life to the next step. Her family is known for being kind and giving back, and Lindsey is no exception to this.

In August 2024, Lindsey was having some issues with some under arm pain and a noticeable knot. The knot was pronounced enough to have her make a doctor's appointment to get it checked. An ultrasound led to a mammogram and the mammogram led to a biopsy when a mass was located. The following day, she logged into the online portal to view the results, “positive for cancer” written out. She read it over and over, each time her heart sank further with what felt like a death sentence being served. Her formal diagnosis followed: Triple Negative Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  Doctors didn’t waste any time. Her port was placed and her first round of chemo was given in the beginning of October. She will have a total of sixteen rounds of chemo, followed by a double mastectomy, then a daily dose of radiation for six, consecutive, weeks.

For someone that doesn’t know how to sit still, Lindsey is doing her best to be mindful of the end goal. She has slowed down on her own competitions to continue with her kids Jr Rodeo Dreams. Lindsey is strong and determined, she’ll beat this, and return to fighting the good fight and doing what she loves, helping others.