Christine S

This marathon started as a goal. After losing my grandma, it became something much bigger.

When I first applied for this Livestrong fundraiser to run the NYC Marathon, I 100% had my grandma in mind as my motivation. My Gaga (Jo Ann) had been battling colon and lung cancer on and off since 2009. I thought this was something meaningful I could do in honor of her while also chasing my goal of running my very first marathon.

I told her about the opportunity, and she was happy to see me so excited. Of course, her first concern was that New York City is a big city and I needed to be safe!

Over the past year, I spent some time reflecting on how much her illnesses had affected her quality of life, and how noticeably worse things had gotten this past year. Seeing the decline was heartbreaking. Applying for this fundraiser also made me think about all the other patients and families going through similar situations. The fundraising challenge felt a little intimidating, but I loved the idea of doing something important like this. It’s something I’ve never done before.

I started running two years ago as my 2024 New Year’s resolution and completely fell in love with distance running. I’ve loved lifting for years, but running feels different… it’s where my thoughts slow down and my emotions catch up with me. 

I was SO excited to run my first big race- the Austin Half Marathon in 2025- but I got injured three weeks before the race and was devastated. My grandma was completely invested in my race, my injury, and my recovery. ❤️

Fast forward a year later- I was finally looking forward to racing the Austin Half Marathon in February 2026. I had basically been training for over a year at that point. I learned my lessons from my injury and trained smarter this time.

My grandma just happened to have a medical emergency less than a week before my race. I was so scared for her because I had never seen her pain and symptoms that bad before. She assured me everything would be okay. She stayed in the hospital under care while I ran my race. She was SO happy that the weather was perfect and that I had so much fun. At the time, it was just a happy memory. Now, knowing she only had weeks left, that moment has taken on a meaning I can’t fully put into words. It feels like a gift.  one of the last times I got to feel her love and encouragement.

After the race I expressed in a social media post what was going through my head at the end of the race. "At mile 12 I was thinking, Oh the irony of wanting it to end so bad... but not wanting it to end at the same time; just smiling because it was fun but accepting that it's almost over." I immediately thought, Hey that kind of sounds like a metaphor for life... but not my life? I haven't lived a full life yet. Looking back now as I type this, I realize that is maybe just what my grandma was feeling in these last weeks.

Gaga passed away in the hospital on 3/8/26 surrounded by family. Nothing could have prepared me for the heartbreak. 

I was devastated. She was my best friend. We talked every single day, every day for the last six years. Now this is the longest we’ve gone without talking, and it’s starting to set in.

My fitness hobbies like running and lifting are basically my whole personality. Suddenly, they felt meaningless. They weren’t even close to a priority anymore, and I wondered if I had lost a spark in me that might never come back.

That night, I bawled and asked out loud, “Just give me a sign you’re okay. Please.”

The next morning, on 3/9, Suz -the head of the Livestrong team- called me and asked if I wanted to run the New York City Marathon. She had one spot left and told me she was touched by my application because she was also very close with her grandmother.

I cried on the phone. Immediately, it felt like the sign I had asked for- whether from life, God, or Gaga. In that moment it felt incredibly special, something I’ll remember forever. A moment of pure happiness in the middle of unfathomable sadness.

And suddenly, I realized something else too: my fitness goals weren’t meaningless after all. This opportunity gave them a whole new meaning and something to look forward to again.

I never imagined when I applied to run with this cancer charity that my grandma wouldn’t be here to see it. She was always the first person I told everything to. She would have been so excited for me. She would probably say I was sweet for thinking of her… but really she has been the sweetest one all these years. That’s where I get it from.

Running this marathon will be my way of carrying my grandma with me through every mile. If you’d like to support this journey, any donation to the Livestrong foundation helps provide resources and support to people and families affected by cancer. Thank you for helping me turn this run into something meaningful. 💛