South Africa Odyssey
Welcome to the beginning of your south africa Odyssey!
This site contains the information and details you need to prepare for the adventure of a lifetime. We’re thrilled to embark on this journey with you.
Meet the Team
Meet your A Fresh Chapter Team! For privacy reasons, all contact information (email addresses and phone numbers) is available on Rallyhood. Please feel free to contact us with ANY questions you might have!
Terri Wingham
AFC CEO and Founder; Program Facilitator; Pre & Post Support
Terri Wingham is the founder and CEO of A Fresh Chapter. A breast cancer diagnosis at age 30 changed Terri forever, transporting her from corporate life to a foreign world of chemotherapy and surgeries. An international volunteer travel experience in South Africa helped Terri see that struggle is universal – and inspired her to provide individuals deeply impacted by cancer the opportunity to expand their focus beyond the disease and discover new purpose in their lives. Terri is a committed global health advocate and cancer support innovator who speaks frequently on topics relating to using adversity as a catalyst for growth. Terri holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Entrepreneurship from Royal Roads University in Victoria, Canada.
Manisha Braithwaite
AFC Project Coordinator – Logistics
Manisha Braithwaite is the program coordinator at A Fresh Chapter. She is an avid world traveler with a broad background in Canadian, U.S. and global volunteering. Her extensive experience in planning and logistics, combined with her passion for traveling and volunteering, help her in her key operations role with A Fresh Chapter. Her roots lie in Toronto, Canada and she received her B.A. from the University of Western Ontario. Manisha balances her work with her other interests in sports, fitness, traveling, spending time with family & close friends, and devoting her time to organizations that assist children.
Lisa Nielsen
Program Facilitator
Lisa Nielsen is a co-facilitator with A Fresh Chapter and a member of the 2014 India Odyssey Tribe. She is a Holistic Wellness Coach, Fitness Trainer and Nutritionist. Lisa has worked in several facets of the wellness industry for over 22 years. Her work includes personal fitness training, nutritional coaching, cooking classes, outdoor fitness and mobility classes, personal cheffing, and varying wellness retreats. Her new business “Vibrant Life Wellness Coaching” (formerly Zen Fitness and Nutrition) is a way for her to bring all of her passions and experiences in wellness under one roof. She is especially interested in working with functional movement and mobility, therapeutic nutrition, and mental, emotional, and spiritual wholeness. She loves educating and inspiring others to live healthy lives by finding a balance in body, mind and spirit.
Alumni Ambassadors
Stacy Stec
Program Mentor
Stacy is a member of the 2016 Peru Odyssey Tribe and ambassador leading the Participant Support team. She is the mother of two young daughters, works as a paralegal, and is a breast cancer survivor. She was born and raised in Virginia and is now living in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. She is passionate about helping her community and loves to volunteer her time as a Girl Scout leader, at her daughters’ elementary school, and with her local Moms club.
Suzanne Shoemaker
Program Mentor
Suzanne Shoemaker is a member of the 2015 South Africa Odyssey Tribe and supports the selection team as an ambassador. She has been a nurse anesthetist for 11 years. She has a degree in psychology and worked in mental health for several years before going to nursing school. Upon completion, she worked in Neuro/Trauma ICU for 6 years and then attended graduate school at the Medical University of South Carolina. Suzanne has been a longtime supporter of A Fresh Chapter.
Shelley Barnes 
Program Mentor
Shelley is a member of the 2017 South Africa Odyssey Tribe. Diagnosed at ages 25 & 27 with breast cancer, she found courage and strength in sharing her experience with others, and considers herself not only a survivor but an advocate.
Born, raised and currently residing in Washington, D.C., she works as a Senior HRIS Analyst in the telecommunications industry and actively volunteers in the young survivor community, focusing on spreading the word on the importance of self-care and awareness, and being a voice to the young women affected by this disease. With a combination of faith and boldness, she truly believes in the power of healing through connection and honesty. Shelley holds a B.S. in Business Management from North Carolina State University. She has an extreme love of the arts, music, her family, podcasts, Netflix and her dog Lily.
Erin Best
Program Mentor
Erin is a member of the 2017 South Africa tribe. She lives on a beautiful spring-fed lake in southeastern Wisconsin with her husband, son, and three cats. She enjoys traveling, hiking, running, cooking, eating, playing the oboe and piano, and singing Hamilton at the top of her lungs. She was a high school math teacher for fifteen years and now works part-time teaching adults at a local technical college. Oh yeah, she also has had breast cancer since 2013 which metastasized in 2016. Although she prefers not to have cancer define her, she has found tremendous joy connecting with other cancer patients in Wisconsin and around the world.
Catherine Williams
Program Mentor
Catherine Williams was one of the 6-10% of people diagnosed with “de novo”, or from the beginning, stage IV metastatic breast cancer after her first mammogram at 40 years old. She was shocked and overwhelmed, but knew she had to DO SOMETHING. She is a patient advocate and volunteers for several organizations including METUP, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, METAvivor, UC San Francisco, Bay Area Young Survivors, and A Fresh Chapter. Catherine is determined to help change the landscape of metastatic breast cancer.
She was born and raised in the SF Bay Area and she just bought her forever home in Oakland with her husband Chico and their two miniature schnauzers, Coco & Charlie. She enjoys spending time with family, especially her twin sister Jen and nephew Holden. In her spare time she also loves books, music, traveling, cooking & eating (she never met a pizza she didn’t like!), outdoor adventures and the Oregon Ducks. After a couple of life-changing experiences that helped her deal with her diagnosis, she adopted a new motto: We never have another chance at today!