I lost a dear friend of mine to ovarian cancer two years ago. She was the same age as me, and also a runner and a triathlete. My friend Louisa dealt with her diagnosis with courage, grace, acceptance and even humor. I take the lessons I learned from her and try and apply them every day.

I had extensive knee surgery in September 2022 and ran my first half-marathon in November 2023 which was amazing although I did have some residual pain. My goal for this race is a pain free race! Apart from that, I want to raise lots of money for Tell Every Amazing Lady® and to have fun!

I love how running makes me feel – free, strong, confident, like I can do anything! I also love that I can pretty much do it anywhere, anytime and I get to enjoy and explore the environment I am in.

If I had the power to make a difference, I would love for there to be greater awareness around ovarian cancer and a more robust process for screening so more women could be diagnosed earlier.

Please show up and cheer us on! Every spectator and cheer helps!

To donate to Yvonne, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s 2024 TCS New York City Marathon fundraising page. To apply for a future marathon, or to learn more, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s marathon page today.

On August 24th, 2023, my family lost Susan “Sue” Adams (my aunt) after her yearlong battle with ovarian cancer. Our family is very tight knit, and Aunt Sue’s cancer and passing was incredibly challenging for not only my uncle and cousins, but our extended family and the countless number of people Aunt Sue befriended and positively impacted in her life.

Despite the challenges, Aunt Sue never failed to inspire and encourage our family with her positive attitude, grace, and strength, and left us thinking, how can we turn a negative into a positive. A couple months after she passed away, I was in Brooklyn supporting friends who were running the 2023 New York Marathon. I was struck by how positive the atmosphere was. I was also thinking about Aunt Sue, as the race was run on her birthday (November 5th). I thought about how much she would’ve loved being there considering she grew up and lived her whole life in New York, was the first female scholarship athlete from White Plains High School, a WPHS Hall of Fame athlete and basketball coach, and had recently retired from being a dedicated physical education teacher. Following the race, it was hard to imagine a better way to make a difference and celebrate her life than to raise money for ovarian cancer through running the marathon.

To donate to William, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s 2024 TCS New York City Marathon fundraising page. To apply for a future marathon, or to learn more, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s marathon page today.

I was 3 months away from running the Boston Marathon in 2018 when I found out that I had ovarian cancer.  

The more I learned about ovarian cancer, the bigger my personal vendetta against the disease grew.  I felt guilty that I was lucky to have a slow growing version that allowed me to catch my cancer at stage one.  I couldn’t believe how low the survival rate is and how easy it was to dismiss the symptoms as those experienced by “a woman of a certain age”.  I became passionate about sharing my experience with anyone who would listen and fundraising with the hope for a world without ovarian cancer.

I roared back the following year, requalified and was all set to run the Boston Marathon in April 2020 when Covid hit in March.  I ran a virtual Boston Marathon in my hometown that year, and then finally made it to Boston to run in person in October 2021.  Shortly before reaching my 5-year cancer free anniversary, I ran the Chicago Marathon in October 2022.  Cancer is not going to stop me.

 My husband, Mark (who is biggest supporter) and I became a dynamic fundraising duo, using each race as an opportunity to be among at the top ovarian cancer fundraisers in all of Canada.

I’m very excited to take the show on the road and to have the opportunity to run my 3rd World Marathon Major. And most importantly, I’m eager to continue my fundraising efforts to defeat this evil cancer through Team Tell Every Amazing Lady® at the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon.

To donate to Traci, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s 2024 TCS New York City Marathon fundraising page. To apply for a future marathon, or to learn more, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s marathon page today.

I had a family member get diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and when any family member gets diagnosed, it affects everyone. I heard of T.E.A.L.® through them and events/fundraisers they participated in for T.E.A.L.®. When I saw there was an opportunity to join T.E.A.L.® and help spread their message by running the TCS New York City Marathon, I thought it was the perfect organization to partner with. I’ve ran one other marathon before and absolutely loved it. The goal I set for myself then was to run the entire marathon, no walking allowed! For this marathon I would love to quicken my pace and finish in 3 hours and 30 minutes, which will be a half hour faster than I’ve ran a marathon before. I love the ability to use running as a mental break and recharge. I don’t like to listen to music or podcasts while running. I like to be alone with my thoughts, focusing on the beauty of the environment around me. It helps me be more present in my life. Besides curing the disease entirely, I would change the ability of having an accurate screening test. Accurate screening is so important to prevent many different diseases and the fact that there isn’t one to test for ovarian cancer is a shame, especially because the symptoms of ovarian cancer are often times vague. I would want to tell those battling with ovarian cancer that their not alone. I would want them to know that I’m cheering them on, supporting in anyway that I can. That I hope everyday brings them a little more strength, determination, and healing. I would want them to know that they are strong, inspiring and we’re all going to get through this together. I am incredibly grateful that I get to run for such an amazing cause and I can’t wait to continue to share the message of T.E.A.L.® and spread awareness of ovarian cancer.

Sincerely,

Tessa Spencer

To donate to Tessa, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s 2024 TCS New York City Marathon fundraising page. To apply for a future marathon, or to learn more, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s marathon page today.

I lost my mom, Crishna Bose-Bansal, on July 1, 2015, to ovarian cancer. 

She was the strongest person I have ever met. Before she was pregnant with me, my mom was training for the Boston Marathon. She never got to see my sister and I graduate from college in Cambridge and move to New York City, so I am excited to run the five boroughs in her honor and to celebrate her life and her undying spirit. 

My fundraising efforts will support both research towards a cure for ovarian cancer and early testing and screening for women of all ages. 

To donate to Rana, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s 2024 TCS New York City Marathon fundraising page. To apply for a future marathon, or to learn more, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s marathon page today.

Seven years ago Audra lost her 2 year battle with ovarian cancer. Many might say “that is sad” and while we agree, we also say “FTS”……

Audra was a lover of life. She was a mother, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, and the most wonderful friend. Audra lived, as we all should, like each and every day were her last. She jumped out of planes, rode motorcycles, explored the world, and found the positive in every situation. We all have promises that we made to Audra before she lost her battle, but the one she asked from ALL of us was the promise that we “Make our lives SPECTACULAR”! We can help keep that promise by taking care of each other, and also by taking care of ourselves.

In keeping my word to Audra I am once again embarking on a health and wellness journey while raising money for a cause she was passionate about. Educating others, and finding as cure. November 3, 2024 I will be running the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon with Team Tell Every Amazing Lady® (Tell Every Amazing Lady® About Ovarian Cancer Louisa M. McGregor Ovarian Cancer Foundation).

Not a day goes by that you are not talked about or thought about Audra. We can hear your laugh, all the time. Ohhh that laugh!

Seven years have flown by but it also seems so long since we’ve had you here and so much has happened….. Your son got married to an amazing woman and they had the most beautiful baby boy with another on his way. Your nephews have grown to become men that you would be proud of. Your little bestie is just like you in that she can bring a smile to anyone’s face. Also, she can literally beat a mermaid in a swimming competition!

We know you are watching us all with a smile- laughing, screaming, and even probably cursing at us and the silly things we do. But please keep watching over us, keep those signs coming, we feel you every day, and just know that we are all here saying “FTS……let’s find a cure!!!!!!!” Love you!

To donate to Michelle, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s 2024 TCS New York City Marathon fundraising page. To apply for a future marathon, or to learn more, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s marathon page today.

My journey was not easy.

In learning that I had breast cancer and ovarian cancer I learned survivorship, I underwent chemotherapy, radiation, a double mastectomy with no option of reconstruction to replace my breast.

After having breast cancer, I learned that my ovaries had to be removed as I developed stage 1 ovarian cancer .  “Ovarian cancer is a silent killer.”  Due to the difficulty in early detection most women don’t have early symptoms.

I have always enjoyed running. I began running half marathons when I was first diagnosed with cancer. When I started chemotherapy, I felt that running would help me sweat out the horrific drug that was put into my body that also saved my life. I ran to keep my body strong, to help me with the stress of not thinking of the cancer, and the financial burden that this would cause my family.

 My life had changed forever where I learned that cancer is like a book with so many pages you don’t see a way to read through all of them at once. When you take one page at a time, a story takes place in an unexpected way. The outcome isn’t clear or easy to deal with, but you find as you go through the journey that a clear outcome isn’t the point! The journey is the thing: the people you connect  with along the way is the story.  Living life to the fullest as tomorrow is not promised.

5 Things Cancer Taught Me:

1) Life is Too Short

2) What Courage Is

3) That Love Never Dies

4) Although Life Gets Hard, it’s Still Beautiful

5) That Nothing Last Forever

To donate to Irma Marie, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s 2024 TCS New York City Marathon fundraising page. To apply for a future marathon, or to learn more, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s marathon page today.

When I was 11 years old, my Grandma Jones passed away from ovarian cancer. I cherish the memories I have of us discussing our favorite Thanksgiving traditions at my elementary school grandparent’s day, her supporting me at my first gymnastics meet, and my family visiting her at her house on the lake. While I hold these memories dear to my heart, I had lost all 4 of my grandparents in elementary school and didn’t get a chance to know them very well. As I got older and watched my friends’ relationships with their grandparents evolve, I wished I had had the chance to develop more mature relationships with my own grandparents, hearing more of their stories and learning from their advice. Devoted to serving others through her involvement in her church and various charitable organizations, I can’t think of a better way to honor my grandma than dedicating my time and fundraising efforts to Team Tell Every Amazing Lady® to raise awareness about ovarian cancer, support patients and survivors, and fund medical research. 

In addition to honoring my grandma, I’m passionate about promoting women’s health and wellness. Growing up with two sisters and having attended an all-girls school, I’ve always been dedicated to supporting and empowering women. Advancing education and awareness around women’s health is at the core of this. 

I love running because it clears my mind, challenges me to persevere, and reminds me of how amazing and capable my body is. I also love that it gets me outside and helps me explore new parts of NYC. Having been a goal of mine for the past few years, I’m excited to run my first marathon at age 26 (almost exactly 26.2 years old on race day in fact)! 

I can’t wait to run with Team Tell Every Amazing Lady® in honor of my grandma and all the incredible women in my life! 

To donate to Erica, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s 2024 TCS New York City Marathon fundraising page. To apply for a future marathon, or to learn more, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s marathon page today.

For this year’s TCS New York City Marathon, I am proud to be partnering with Tell Every Amazing Lady® to help fight ovarian cancer. My grandma passed away from cancer over a year ago, and I would love to run this race in her honor. My fundraising goal for the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon is $3,000. Any and all donations are much appreciated! Thank you for helping to fight ovarian cancer.

To donate to Carrie, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s 2024 TCS New York City Marathon fundraising page. To apply for a future marathon, or to learn more, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s marathon page today.

Hi All, 

On Sunday, November 3rd, I will be running the 2024 TCS NYC Marathon with Team Tell Every Amazing Lady® (Tell Every Amazing Lady® About Ovarian Cancer Louisa M. McGregor Ovarian Cancer Foundation) and couldn’t be more excited to do so! I’ll be running in honor of one of the most beautiful souls to grace this earth, Joyce Gerard. Joyce came into my life 27 years ago, when her daughter and I met in elementary school and became instant best friends. She was a second mother to me and I will be forever grateful for the time we spent together. Here is her story: 

Joyce was the most loving mother, wife, and Mimi. She loved playing tennis, going out with all her friends, and spending time with her family, including her amazing husband, two children, and three grandchildren. She especially loved the summertime in her beautiful backyard that she meticulously gardened and landscaped, the flowers were always perfect. Her skills in the kitchen were unmatched, she was an incredible host and cook. Joyce was the picture of health, she was always active and loved to exercise. In January 2019, after having some minor bloating, she went to her doctor and received the most unexpected, devastating news – she was diagnosed with Stage 3C ovarian cancer. For 4 years and 3 months, she fought the battle valiantly. She never complained, and always had a positive attitude. Her oncologist would always tell her how amazing she looked (she loved to dress up, even for chemo appointments). Many people never even knew she was undergoing continuous treatment for all 4 years. She tried countless different medications and clinical trials. Unfortunately, ovarian cancer is known to come back with a vengeance and be resistant to treatment. Joyce’s battle ended on April 29th, 2023. She passed away at home with her family by her side. 

Joyce was loved by so many. We will continue to keep her memory alive and running in her honor is just one small tribute to a woman who made this earth such a brighter place. Please help me carry on this fight, by donating, to make a difference in finding a cure and better treatment options for a disease that has taken the lives of so many young women. 

Any contribution you make has an impact. Let’s do the damn thing! Thank you so much and F CANCER. 

To learn more about T.E.A.L.®, see the link below: https://telleveryamazinglady.org/ovarian-cancer/

To donate to Brittany, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s 2024 TCS New York City Marathon fundraising page. To apply for a future marathon, or to learn more, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s marathon page today.

This November, I will be running in the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon with Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®, an organization that focuses on providing support to patients and survivors, raising public awareness, and sharing resources with key partners in the struggle to end ovarian cancer. 

I’m running with Team Tell Every Amazing Lady® in honor of my mom, Kris, who passed away in 2012 after a 6-year battle with ovarian cancer. I dedicate my training and marathon run to her, who fought her battle with so much courage and grace. 

My mom was vibrant, silly, and smart. She had an infectious laugh and bright blue eyes (almost teal!!). Among many other things, she loved skiing, traveling, needlepoint, and singing along to Broadway musical soundtracks. I am so proud to be running in her honor!! 

If you can, please help me reach my fundraising goal for Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®. Any contribution you can make will help bring us one step closer to early detection methods, improved treatments, and ultimately, a cure. Thanks all!

-Adrienne

To donate to Adrienne, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s 2024 TCS New York City Marathon fundraising page. To apply for a future marathon, or to learn more, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s marathon page today.