Breast cancer survivor Michelle Donio and Raelynne, the granddaughter she thought she would never meet.
PHOTOS PROVIDED
“Sort for Support” is a fundraiser that came out of breast cancer survivor’s journey.
For Michelle Donio, the sound of hooves and the rush of competition has come to mean much more than winning. Representing comfort, perseverance, and family, they have inspired her to help others facing one of life’s hardest challenges.
A breast cancer survivor and professional ranch sorter from Buena, Donio has been riding horses since she was 12. Now a grandmother, she is still well known in sorting (a team rodeo event)championships across the country, bringing home prizes ranging from buckles and saddles to horse trailers. Yet her most meaningful victories are away from the awards podium.
That journey inspired Donio to turn her sport into a source of support for other cancer patients. On October 23 to 25, she will host the sixth annual “Sort for Support” Rodeo and Sorting Competition (RSTPA) at Double P Ranch on 40 East Finley Road in Bridgeton. The three-day event, held during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is a sanctioned stop on the Ranch Sorting Team Penning Association circuit.
In ranch sorting, teams of riders work against the clock to separate specific numbered cattle from a herd and guide them, in sequence, into an adjacent pen. The competition demands focus, communication, horsemanship, and determination—qualities that echo Donio’s own experience.
With the cooperation and support of the RSTPA, “Sort for Support” has raised more than $70,000 in its initial five years. The proceeds benefit Jefferson Health’s Patient Assistance Fund at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, helping patients meet practical needs during treatment, from utility expenses to wigs.
For Donio, every rider who enters the arena and every supporter who attends helps carry the mission forward. What began as one survivor’s determination has grown into an annual community effort—one that transforms the competitive spirit of the rodeo into tangible relief for people navigating cancer.
When Donio was first diagnosed on Christmas Eve in 2020 her thoughts went to her family. One of her daughters-in-law was pregnant with her fourth grandchild, who she thought she’d never see born. Today, she has eight grandchildren with two of them sharing her love of horses—Jules, 11 and Raelynn, 5. She is optimistic that her 20-month-old granddaughter is showing interest, too.
“I may have another one in the making,” she says with a laugh about carrying on this legacy of horse riding.
But in those early days Donio was scared about the journey ahead of her—the treatments, the surgeries, and so much uncertainty.
“It’s overwhelming,” she recalls, “and the scariest thing to hear the word ‘cancer’ and suddenly have so many questions you can’t answer. She was fortunate to have friend Liz Hess, a two-time breast cancer survivor, to help her navigate those early days of her journey, answering her many questions from a patient’s perspective. “She, and my faith in God, pointed me in the right direction,” Donio says.
In addition to Hess and her many close friends, Donio also credits her husband Jack, her children, mother, and grandchildren with encouraging her to keep going even through the hardest days—and her horses for giving her something to look forward to.
“Being around my horses gave me a place to breathe and clear my head,” she said. “So much of treatment revolved around appointments and what was happening to my body. In the barn or in the arena, I could reconnect with a part of my life that I loved. Whether I was riding or simply spending time with them, the horses gave me comfort and something familiar.”
Michelle Donio and husband with horse Annie. RIGHT: After treatment,
Donio shares a celebratory ringing of the bell with husband Jack by her side.
During her treatments she continued to teach riding skills to 20 or more students a week, which helped to keep her physically active. She also continued to work at her full-time job as a payroll manager of 500 employees at Asphalt Paving Systems in Hammonton, which kept her mind busy.
“I didn’t have much time for anything else during my two years of treatment, which I left up to my amazing team of doctors at Jefferson,” she says, being sure to credit her medical team of Dr. Ana Maria Lopez, Dr. Tamara LaCouture, Dr. Steven Copit, Dr. Kristin Brill, Dr. Ana Maria Lopez, Dr. Lisa DiMedio, and Dr. David O’Neil.
Sometimes strength meant simply getting through that day, she said, recalling the painful physical and mental challenges of chemotherapy, radiation, a double mastectomy, infection and more surgeries, plus 18 months of immunotherapy. For five years, she took a hormone blocker to prevent feeding the cancer in her body.
“I learned to take things one step at a time,” Donio says.
Breast cancer made her realize how precious ordinary days are. She appreciates more than ever being with her family and spending time with her husband.
“Spending time in the barn, going to competitions with my granddaughters, and doing things I enjoy mean more to me now,” she says. “I don’t want to keep putting meaningful things off until someday. I want to be present for the life I have and the people I love.”
As a breast cancer survivor, Donio sees herself as a strong person, stronger than she ever realized she was or could be.
“But I also understand that being strong doesn’t mean you never feel afraid or need help. Recovery has come with lasting physical, mental, and emotional challenges. I’m learning to give myself credit for what I’ve been through and to be patient with what my body can do now versus what I could do before my diagnosis,” she says, emphasizing that this is the hardest part to accept.
The turning point during her cancer journey was not just one big moment but came when she realized she wasn’t facing it alone or all at once.
“I had the support of my husband who made sure he was at every appointment and every treatment, even if he had to sit in the car a wait for me due to Covid, I could focus on the next treatment, the next appointment, or simply getting through the day,” she recalls, adding that finding a way to turn her experience into something that could help other people also gave her a sense of purpose, then came Sort for Support.
Friend Jackie Smith, a promoter in the Sport of Team Sorting, wanted to hold an event to raise money for Donio to offset her bills. Donio was very appreciative of the offer but had a suggestion. Since she continued to work, and her family had great health insurance, Donio wanted the donation from this event to help those less fortunate. That’s how Sort for Support was born and continues to grow. In the first two years, the event was held at Smith’s facility but in the third year the popular fundraiser was moved to the RSTPA Double P Ranch owned by Paul Pilnik in Bridgeton.
“Seeing people come together, donate, volunteer, and support the benefit means so much to me. It shows what a caring community can accomplish,” says Donio.
Her cancer journey has given her a deeper connection with her horses and family.
Donio reconnects with some of her medical team
at a Sort for Support rodeo event.
“I get to watch my granddaughters Jules and Raelynn, ride with the passion I have for the sport,” she says, bursting with pride. “I’ve also had to learn to listen to my body and respect my limits.”
This means that spending quiet time with her horses, or coaching and watching her granddaughters means more to her now than riding,” she says. “We’re making memories together, and I get to watch them learn, build confidence, and enjoy their horses.”
After facing cancer, those moments feel especially precious to Donio“You don’t have to be strong every day or every minute, and you don’t have to do this alone,” is Donio’s advice to those who have been newly diagnosed and are struggling through cancer treatment.
“It’s okay to be scared, to cry, even if it’s in the shower alone or in the barn,” she says, “and it’s ok to accept help while keeping busy. Ask questions, tell your care team how you’re feeling, and take things one day at a time. Every person’s journey is different. Give yourself grace and remember that you are still you beyond your diagnosis.”
