Team Teal: Miles Your Way

Make A Difference with Your Miles!

I am running the Boston Marathon to support the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition as a proud member of Team TEAL!

This year, I registered with Team TEAL – Miles Your Way because I want to raise awareness and funding for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. My journey with Team TEAL began at the Falmouth Road Race, where I proudly wore my teal shirt while completing the challenging 7-mile course. Now, it's time to keep putting in the extra miles for my next event.

I run in honor of my mom, Ann Marie, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2011 and bravely battled for five years. I’ll never forget that day in September 2011—my freshman year of college, living two hours away. My mom had gone in for surgery to remove a cyst. I spent the day anxiously waiting for a call from my dad to let me know the surgery was done and they were on their way home.

Around dinnertime, my phone rang. It was my dad. He told me they had gone in and found the tumor to be cancerous—my mom had been diagnosed with Stage IIC ovarian cancer. I was speechless. How could I be so far away and feel so helpless?

Over the next few days, I wrestled with whether I should transfer to a school closer to home. But my mom stood firm: "Do not give up your goals right now for me. Keep pushing, and make me proud. I will be okay."

Those next four years were filled with ups and downs. The remissions, the recurrences, the endless appointments and scans—but through it all, my mom remained the strongest person I’ve ever known. I lived by her words—"make me proud"—and stayed true to them as I walked across the stage in May 2015 with my mom and dad cheering in the crowd.

The following summer, in 2016, while on a family cruise, my mom passed away at the age of 54, surrounded by all of her loved ones. From that moment on, I’ve continued to live by her motto: "Make me proud." I hope, to this day, that she is proud.

With the 10-year anniversary of her passing approaching, I can’t think of a better way to honor her than to run again with Team TEAL.

Today, my mom would have five grandchildren—my two daughters and my brother’s two daughters and son—whom she would be absolutely head over heels in love with. I know that within each of them, a piece of my mom lives on. I hope that one day they’ll see a world where ovarian cancer no longer impacts families the way it did ours.

My support helps improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities affected by ovarian cancer — and I need your help.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today to support my fundraising efforts.

In a year filled with challenges, one of the greatest still remains: saving more lives from ovarian cancer.

Funds raised for the NOCC support national programs and local initiatives that:

Increase awareness of the subtle signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer

Assist newly diagnosed patients across the country

Provide ongoing support for caregivers

Advocate for the advancement of ovarian cancer research

Together, we can make a difference. Thank you for your support.

Help me connect with my community and show my passion for saving lives and ending ovarian cancer.

Will you please join me to help save lives by donating today?