Wendy Chiogi died Oct. 7, 2019, at the age of 57, following an 18-year battle with cancer. She worked as an evening reporter at WESH-Channel 2 in Orlando starting in 1988, and covered countless stories during her two decades at the station, including the space shuttle Columbia disaster, the pope’s visit to Cuba, the Salt Lake City Olympics, political conventions, and presidential visits. Chiogi won an Emmy award as part of a team that reported a story for WESH titled “A Heroin Emergency,” and the duPont Columbia award for coverage of the Shuttle Columbia disaster.

In 2008, seven years after her first cancer diagnosis, Chiogi left WESH to pursue her passion for physical fitness and athletics. She completed multiple Ironman distance triathlons and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2014, only a few weeks after undergoing chemo for her second cancer diagnosis. Chiogi shared details about her health and experiences on her blog, “Live Fearlessly,” and was a regular contributer to “Growing Bolder,” a lifestyle show that presents inspirational stories and tips. She also hosted the Emmy-nominated show “Surviving & Thriving.”