Pacific Beach resident Alexis Klimpl has spent the past few years in and out of hospital rooms more than the average Gen Zer.
About two years ago, the then-24-year-old was lying in bed when she felt an itch. It wasn’t until she went to scratch it that Klimpl felt the lump on her right breast.
“My lump was really, really easy to feel, and I immediately shot up and started to spiral a bit,” Klimpl said.
After visiting her primary care doctor and getting imaging and a biopsy done, Klimpl was diagnosed with stage II triple-positive breast cancer. The months to follow would change her forever.
Alexis Klimpl was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 24. (Courtesy of Alexis Klimpl)
On March 13, Klimpl will share her experiences when speaking at the Susan G. Komen 2026 Impact Luncheon.
The annual gathering, set for 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Eve in downtown San Diego, will celebrate survivors, advocates, healthcare workers and community partners working to fight against breast cancer. Klimpl is one of four featured speakers.
Klimple, now 26, said she is excited to share her perspective as a young person, and speak about how she got through the difficulties of chemotherapy and cancer treatment.
Breast cancer most commonly affects older women. From 2018 to 2022, the median age of a diagnosis for women in the U.S. was 63. Women under the age of 40 accounted for only 4% of women diagnosed with breast cancer.
However, rates in young women are increasing. For Klimpl, highlighting the differences in the experiences of young women with breast cancer is an important part of this event.
“A lot of what we’re going to be focusing on is the differences in recovery post cancer for young patients compared to older ones, and how different that experience can be when it comes to things like finances or family planning,” Klimpl said.
“For example, with the medication I’m on, I can’t have kids for five to 10 years, so how does that impact and change my life and my goals? I’m excited to highlight the real difference between my experience as a young patient, because it’s often overlooked since having breast cancer at this young of an age is not considered the norm.”
A Hawaii native, Klimpl moved to San Diego in 2017 to attend California State University, San Marcos. She is a publicist who specializes in B2C and tech brands along with the hospitality and restaurant industry.
She moved to Pacific Beach four years ago and said she spends much of her time outdoors, especially in the water. In addition to surfing and spending time at the beach, Klimpl’s interests include snowboarding and staying active at the gym.
But after receiving her cancer diagnosis, Klimpl’s life became a whirlwind of doctors’ offices and operating rooms. Shortly after receiving her diagnosis, she started the process of freezing her eggs because chemotherapy would likely ruin her chances of fertility later in life.
“It was multiple shots every day, tons of different types of medication, blood work every day and then surgery at the end of it to retrieve my eggs.” Klimpl said.
Alexis Klimpl during a treatment for breast cancer. (Courtesy of Alexis Klimpl)
While the outcome of this treatment was a success, she said the physical demands and pain of that process were extremely difficult.
After retrieving her eggs, Klimpl went through her first six rounds of chemotherapy.
“It was brutal,” she said. “It’s everything you think about, I mean, the fatigue, the bone pain, the hair loss and I had a really bad rash that I would get over my face every time.”
After chemotherapy and surgery to remove the shrunken tumor, she opted to have a bilateral mastectomy, followed by a breast reconstruction surgery a few months later.
Klimpl is now cancer-free and navigating life in recovery.
“Now I am on the road up, and I’m starting to recover emotionally and I’ve recovered fully physically,” she said. “My life is just starting to feel a lot more normal and I don’t think about it every single day anymore, which has been the greatest relief and so much pressure taken off of me, since that whole process took about a year-and-a-half to two years.”
For Klimpl, recovery is now about trying to return to things that make her feel normal.
“It started with returning to things that cancer had taken away from me, like surfing and swimming,” she said. “Once I started being able to do those certain things, I really started to feel like myself again. And then also, like, my body has changed now. I have scars everywhere, I have implants, and it really took time for me to show myself love, whether that’s in the mirror or just internally when I meditate.
“But recovery is hard. I think it’s still something that I’m, you know, working on,” she said. “My life is starting to fall normal again, but I’m still figuring out how I’ve changed.”
Alexis Klimpl ringing the bell to celebrate the conclusion of her six chemotherapy treatments due to breast cancer. (Courtesy of Alexis Klimpl)
Klimpl said her journey has given her perspective on how important it is to appreciate her body and be thankful for the ability to be active.
“There are so many people in the world who are unable to do things because their health is getting in the way, because they are in hospitals,” Klimpl said. “Being in chemo rooms you see that firsthand, and I think we get caught up in our lives and don’t always appreciate our bodies and their abilities. I always say, ‘There are so many people who’d give up anything and everything in their power to be where you are, to have the opportunities that you have.’”
Klimpl’s story is just one of many that will be featured at the 2026 Impact Luncheon, which will reflect on both survivorship and advocacy for breast cancer, as well as medical care and research done by health care professionals. Event proceeds directly support Komen San Diego’s Patient Care Center, which provides free, personalized navigation and critical resources to patients and families throughout every step of their breast cancer journey.
Want to go?
Susan G. Komen 2026 Impact Luncheon
When: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 13
Where: Eve, 975 Waterfront Place, 4th floor, Downtown San Diego
Tickets: $150 for individuals and $2,000 for tables seating 10
Where to buy: komen.org/SDImpactLuncheon