I got involved with T.E.A.L.® through New York Road Runners.

My goal for the TCS New York City Marathon is to raise at least $3,000 for Tell Every Amazing Lady®. 

Running is the greatest theater of human inspiration I am aware of.  If you run or spectate any marathon, you will know what I mean.  I can think of no better way to bring so many people together, working together towards so many amazing causes, yet all aligned with a unifying, shared health and fitness goal.  I feel most alive when I am running and post-race.  I have the confidence and enthusiasm to take on life’s challenges — and know that I can power through them. 

If I had the power to make a difference in one thing related to ovarian cancer, it would be to make testing accessible for all women.

A message I would send to every amazing lady is: Trust your gut. Never ignore any health concerns. You are incredibly strong and capable and time is one of the most powerful forces on your side. 

I am grateful to be fundraising for such a worthy cause and being part of this team.

I first became involved with T.E.A.L.® as I looked into organizations to support when running the TCS New York City Marathon. Ovarian cancer is something that has affected my family, and a cause that I look forward to supporting. 

My goal for the TCS New York City Marathon is to finish in under 4-hours, but to also enjoy the experience of training with my friends.

Running has always been my chance to disconnect and explore new places. I’m excited to see more of the NY-area as I train for the marathon. 

If I had the power to make a difference relating to ovarian cancer, I would increase the number of women getting tested for ovarian cancer each year.

I have so much respect for anyone fighting ovarian cancer. You have the support of everyone around you – keep being amazing!

I’m looking forward to meeting more people associated with T.E.A.L.® and furthering the cause!

I have known about T.E.A.L.® since it began. My mother was childhood best-friends with Louisa. They attended elementary school together and remained friends always. I heard many stories growing up about their adventures: the first time they ate McDonalds on the way to Roller Palace, the night of the Shawn Cassidy concert and the biggest one, the night they met Scott Baio. They lost touch for a while, but still remained friendly. My parents moved us to Long Island but Louisa and my mom still kept in touch through letters and Christmas cards. When my mother received a letter from Louisa saying she was sick, they had a “reunion” and rekindled their friendship. I met Louisa and my brother and I became friendly with her son Spencer.  Spencer even came with me and my brother to a Blink-182 concert at Jones Beach. Therefore, once I knew I was going to run for a charitable cause, T.E.A.L.® was my first choice. 

I have many goals for the TCS New York City Marathon, but to keep my goals short, I would like to raise as much awareness as possible for T.E.A.L.®, by spreading the word to family, friends, coworkers and representing T.E.A.L.® the day of the marathon. I also have set personal goals to not only get myself back into the shape I was in prior to the pandemic, but to accomplish my personal best marathon time.

There are many things that I love about running, but mainly to me it is a time that I can completely clear my head and be competitive with myself. I don’t think about any outside stress, it is simply me against the road and trying to be better than I was yesterday.

If I could change one thing related to ovarian cancer, it would be testing. If there was a way that all women could get tested, similar to a mammogram, I think that would be a changing point for fighting this disease.

Growing up, I learned from my mother that no one knows you better than you know yourself and no one will fight your battles for you. You have to be your own advocate and your own voice.  If you know something is wrong or feel that something is not quite right, speak to your doctor. Ask the questions and demand answers.

My mother always talks about how strong Louisa was during her battle and was in awe of her grit and determination. I think this is the lesson every woman should learn. You are worth the fight and we know you can do it!

Since being diagnosed with ovarian cancer 12 years ago, I have challenged myself to go beyond what I thought I was capable of. I felt as though a door was opened – and I saw that I wasn’t truly living my life.

On my quest to truly live this life of mine, I have looked hard at things that scare the crap out of me and of those that I would be willing to tackle. This led me to climbing the tallest free-standing mountain in the world; surfing in Hawaii and learning to kayak in class 1, 2, and 3 rapids (despite not knowing how to swim); and facing a fear of heights while zip lining over the Arizona desert and cliff jumping in Bali. Well, 2020 was my 10-year “cancerversary,” and it’s time for another big challenge: completing the TCS New York City Marathon, the largest in the world.

These challenges really are about pushing myself beyond what I think I am capable of. My plan is to complete the marathon doing run/walk intervals.

Team Tell Every Amazing Lady® has graciously allowed me to join their team. Tell Every Amazing Lady®, also known as T.E.A.L.®, is a foundation all about ovarian cancer awareness. Its mission is to promote public awareness and education of the signs, symptoms and risk factors of ovarian cancer while providing support to survivors and raising funds for research in order to find a screening test and cure for ovarian cancer.

Will you consider making a donation toward this worthy cause, and allowing me to meet my fundraising goal? From $5 to $10… everything helps. Thank you in advance.

The 2022 TCS New York City Marathon will be a very special event for me, not only because it will be my first marathon ever, but mostly because I will be running to support an amazing cause. I am proud to be a member of team Tell Every Amazing Lady® to raise awareness about ovarian cancer.

To me, running a marathon is like a life journey: it is unknown, challenging, and it tests physical strength and mental resilience. I hope that at the end it will also give me a lot of joy and a sense of achievement.  

A few years ago, when I was going through a different journey, the one from cancer to recovery, I would not have thought that I would be able to run a marathon. Slowly and gradually, running became my new journey, allowing me to feel no boundaries and giving me a sense of freedom. I am still finding out where it will take me. 

Being one of thousands of women affected by ovarian cancer, I want to Tell Every Amazing Lady® that they can, that there is hope. Those amazing ladies who are going through the battle with the disease should never give up. One of the best pieces of advice that I received was from my doctor, who told me that positive attitude and belief in a successful outcome is key to recovery. I can attest to that. Step by step, mile-by-mile, gradually, we can win the battle. 

If I could make a significant change in the fight against this disease, I would make testing for ovarian cancer part of preventive care. I believe that early detection on a larger scale would make a considerable difference.    

Running for T.E.A.L.® will allow me to make at least a small difference and support this amazing cause.

Very good friends of mine are highly active in Tell Every Amazing Lady® and have always encouraged me to participate. Unfortunately, moving to Colorado has limited my ability to get involved in such a wonderful cause. I’m proud to finally be able to support this charity in the way it deserves. 

Above all else, I want to have fun while running my first TCS New York City Marathon. This marathon is a bucket list item and I can’t wait to run through every borough that our great city has to offer. Making it even more special, I get to run it with my sister and I get to support a fantastic charity.  

I enjoy the mental challenge of running. There are often times when our brain makes us believe we can’t go any further. I love pushing through that, enduring the discomfort and proving to myself that I can do anything. It’s freeing once you know that you are stronger than you think you are. It opens up endless possibilities.    

It goes without saying that I wish cancer (in general) did not exist. A realistic change would be to have the world focus on research more. If our collective minds, data, and funds were pooled together, we would make faster progress towards a cure. Spreading awareness and raising funds for T.E.A.L.® is a small way in which I can participate in making this change.  

To those fighting ovarian cancer, please know that we are sending you all our love and support. Stay strong and fight hard. You are not alone.  

To all the amazing ladies in the world, don’t take your health for granted. Make sure you have annual check ups, and listen to your body. Educate yourself and take control of your future.    

I want to say a big thank you to all who are involved with this organization. Keep up the good work and know that you are making a difference in your community. Your efforts are much appreciated. 

I got involved with T.E.A.L.® through a friend who has been supporting T.E.A.L.® for several years and knows all the hard work that they do.

My goal for the TCS New York City Marathon is that I want to keep running all the time, I’m gonna try not to walk.

Running makes me feel strong and helps me clear my mind. It makes me feel that by working hard and pushing myself a little more I can get out of my comfort zone and reach new physical and mental goals.

If I could make a difference in one thing related to ovarian cancer, I would like there to be a rule in hospitals or medical services where all women have to know the signs for early detection and symptoms of ovarian cancer. I’d want more campaigns and information about it available.

My message for every amazing lady about ovarian cancer is this: Taking care of ourselves and helping to take care of other women by sharing the information we have about ovarian cancer is very important. Going regularly to the doctor for checkups should be a priority in our lives.

This is my first marathon and also my first time doing a fundraiser. The satisfaction I feel for being able to contribute in a small way for such a special cause will stay with me forever. 

I was doing some runs in the thick of the pandemic to raise money for other charities in the city and I met a run coach named Kai @runcoachkai during some of those events and he mentioned T.E.A.L.® He connected me with T.E.A.L.® and I completed my first marathon for T.E.A.L.® in 2021.

My goal for the 2022 marathon is to raise more resources and awareness for T.E.A.L.® and also complete the marathon faster than I did last year. I am aiming to complete it in 3 hours and 40 minutes but if I get under 4 hours I will be content and of course if I can do faster that’s even better.

I started running simply as a way to relieve stress and as a form of working out that got me back in touch with the outdoors. New York City doesn’t offer much nature, but what it lacks in trees it has abundance of in culture and community. I did not expect to love running as much as I do but it has brought me peace and an amazing connection to the city and the people in it.

If I could change one thing it would be to find a cure for all cancers but we’re not there yet so for now I would create as much awareness as possible in the hopes that more investment can be made in the research and support of those dealing with ovarian cancer.

I would say to every amazing lady that there is always hope and that there a lot of us with love and determination in our hearts to help defeat this disease. We are running hard in the hopes to help make ovarian cancer a thing of the past.

I am truly honored to be able to run for T.E.A.L.® and to do my small part in helping those fighting ovarian cancer. My Aunt Ann passed away from cancer at a young age and she gives me the energy and strength to help others dealing with this hardship. I hope my efforts can bring some assistance and hope to the women and their families facing ovarian cancer.

My name is Spencer McGregor and I am running my first NYC marathon with T.E.A.L.® in memory of the organization’s co-founder, my mom, Louisa M. McGregor. As a teenager growing up in a household with a sick parent, you find ways to release stress. For me, going to the gym, hanging out with friends, and working towards obtaining the rank of Eagle Scout were those outlets. Running was something I occasionally did to work on cardio or just let off some steam…until now. My wife was supposed to run the NYC Marathon in 2020 and I decided I wanted to join her (because who doesn’t want to run 26.2 miles?!). Thanks to COVID, we had to postpone until this year. We just had a baby and you know what they say… giving birth is like running a marathon. Hopefully the 26 hours of labor was good prep for our 26 miles of running.

I work for the Department of Sanitation, which means every day is a great workout. Being one of New York’s Strongest keeps me motivated to meet those miles. Sometimes, when training gets tough, I think of my mom and her battle with cancer and the miles immediately become painless. I can’t wait to feel the energy of the crowd throughout the city where I was born and raised and cross the finish line representing T.E.A.L.®.

My goal is to raise awareness of the early signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer and prevent other families from experiencing the hurt and loss that mine did. 

Mom, this one’s for you… and my daughter, your namesake.