Swimming against the current

Lauren Beam, the women's swim coach at NYU, completed the renowned Ironman triathlon two years ago. In a field of 2,500 competitors, she was the eighth person out of the water after the 2.4 mile swim. She then biked 112 miles, ran a full marathon and finished the grueling race in 11 hours and 39 minutes.

At the time, the triathlon was the most strenuous challenge of her life — but that changed last spring.

She was diagnosed with advanced stage colon cancer.

Last March, after the swim season ended, Beam was vacationing with her family in Lake Tahoe. For some time, she had been feeling sharp pains in her shoulder, and they worsened in Tahoe. Beam went to the emergency room, where she was given an ultrasound that detected lesions on her liver. She immediately flew back to New York with her husband, and after doctors ran more tests, she was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer — meaning the disease originated in her colon and had spread to her liver.

Since her diagnosis almost a year ago, Beam, now 33 years old, realized the need to stay positive while facing such a debilitating obstacle.

"You can be 'Debbie downer,' but it's not going to help," said Beam, who is currently undergoing treatment at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on the Upper East Side.

Beam's coworkers and swimmers say they admire her strength and the composure she maintains through her illness.

"If you didn't know better, you wouldn't know she was sick," said Todd Kolean, head coach of NYU's golf team and an assistant diving coach.

For instance: In November, Beam had a pump inserted in her stomach to directly target the lesions on her liver. Just a week later, she was back coaching, running and doing step aerobics with the team.

Junior Martha Shoemaker has a special bond with her coach. When Shoemaker was in high school, her mother underwent breast cancer treatment, so the swimmer has seen the effects of chemo first-hand. She said Beam's "mental and physical toughness is just above and beyond what most people have."

The support and strength her team gives her has helped Beam in her fight against cancer. After the diagnosis, Beam's younger sister came up with the idea of calling the team and support group "Team Beam." At Relay for Life at NYU last spring, Team Beam raised over $23,000 for the American Cancer Society. They also helped her move into an apartment closer to her hospital, delivered her food and sent her countless cards and pictures.

"If I didn't have them, I don't know if I would be doing as well as I am," Beam said.

Janice Quinn, senior associate director for athletics at NYU, admires the intensity and energy that Beam brings to the table that has made NYU and elite program. Beam has a 55-4 record as the team's coach.

"Her capacity as a head coach puts her in an elite category," said Quinn, a close personal friend of Beam's. "She knows how to motivate and win."

Swim captain Kacey McCaffrey calls Beam the team's "surrogate mother," and admires her coach's ability to lead by example.

"If she can go to chemo, then I can get my butt up at 5 a.m. and go to practice," McCaffrey said.

McCaffrey, who graduated in December, often chats with Beam, her coach and friend, about her concerns and worries. McCaffrey said Beam has helped her stay grounded and poised in a time of uncertainty. Beam tells her that it's simple:

"You need to work hard, you need to show up every day and you need to be positive."

Now, perhaps more than ever, Beam's message carries added significance to her and to Team Beam.