Thousands of pink-clad racers will take over San Diego this weekend. The 13th annual Susan G. Komen San Diego Race for the Cure will be held in Balboa Park on Sunday morning. “The race is such a fun day,” said La Jolla resident and race participant Angie Thieman. “It’s a really positive day and it’s a chance to be out in the community with a lot of other people and just feel good about life and fighting this really hideous disease.” The 5-kilometer run and fitness walk begins at 8 a.m. It is preceded by a survivor ceremony at 7:30 a.m. and followed by a health expo that will have booths set up by sponsors, and a healthful food area. “It’s an opportunity to celebrate survivors to really focus on how far we’ve come,” Thieman said. Of the money raised during the race, 75 percent will remain in San Diego to provide breast health research, diagnostics, screening, treatment, services and education for all women and 25 percent will go to national research. Since 1995, the grassroots organization’s San Diego affiliate has given $8.5 million to local organizations that battle breast cancer. “Every person knows someone who has been affected by this disease,” Thieman said. “It tends to strike women that still are leading very productive lives.” Thieman, who is a board member with the grassroots organization, will be participating in her 10th race on Sunday. She became involved with Komen for the Cure because of her mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer 19 years ago. “At the time, she was told she was not likely to survive five years,” Thieman said. “Fast forward 19 years and my 29-year-old cousin was diagnosed with the exact same kind of breast cancer in the exact location and she has a 98 percent survival rate.” This year’s Honorary Breast Cancer Survivor is Amanda Nixon, a South Park resident. Nixon was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 at only 27 years old and has now fully recovered. Nixon first noticed symptoms in 2005 following a breast reduction — loss of strength in her arm and a slight mass inside her breast. At the time, Nixon consulted with her plastic surgeon, who said it was most likely scar tissue and not breast cancer, given her age. “Eventually, as I was sent off for a mammogram, my breast had become completely engorged,” Nixon said. “It was purple — it kind of looked like the skin of an orange. It was dimply and my nipple had inverted.” Nixon was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, which occurs in only one of eight breast cancer cases. Her case is also unique because of her age. “I had this image in my mind that it was a grandmother’s disease, and here I am at 27 completely bald with one boob,” Nixon said. “I was thinking this doesn’t seem right.” Following the diagnosis, Nixon went through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and underwent radiation treatment, a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery all within a 3 1/2-year span. She said she had tremendous support from her mother and the Young Survivor Coalition throughout the process.  “It was one obstacle or one challenge at a time,” Nixon said. “I would get through it and then have a celebration. That’s how I dealt with it.” Nixon will speak at the race and will be participating in her first Race for the Cure. She has done the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk three times. Nixon recommends that all women have a clinical screening once a year and do a monthly self breast exam. “My best piece of advice is that young women should just be familiar with their bodies, know what’s normal and then if something isn’t normal, go have it checked out by a professional,” Nixon said. Although advance registration for the San Diego Race for the Cure has closed, those interested in participating in the race can register on the day of the event starting at 6:30 a.m. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.komensandiego.org.