Why I Am Running on Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®?
Two years ago, a very dear friend of mine was diagnosed with Stage 4B Ovarian Cancer. She was floored, I was floored. No one could believe how a very healthy, active 55-year-old woman had stage 4B ovarian cancer. She had no symptoms, nothing showed up in her blood work. How could this have happened? I have since become more educated about ovarian cancer and learned that it is a silent killer since there are no symptoms or preventive screenings. I am running to raise money for researchers to discover preventive screenings and to let all women know to pay attention to their bodies. I am running to tell every amazing woman that we need to find a cure.
My goal for the United Airlines NYC Half marathon is to finish in 2 hours and 10 minutes. I have run a half marathon before, back when I was running more in my life and that was my best time. I want to try and match or beat my time. I love running as it clears my mind and it is great for my health. You can run anywhere, it’s a great form of exercise and you can spend quality time with other like-minded exercisers.
If I could change one thing about ovarian cancer, it would be create a preventative screening test for it. I am a breast cancer survivor and I am very grateful to the mammogram and ultrasound that found my tumor. Why can’t we have this for ovarian cancer?
To my dear friend and now my cousin who now has ovarian cancer, I am running for you and for women in the future who need to pay attention to certain symptoms. Pay attention to your bodies and be aware that persistent bloating, pelvic/abdominal pain or pressure and feeling full quickly could be signs of something other than digestive issues (Mayo clinic reference.) I am running to raise awareness that we need more funding for ovarian cancer research now and in the future. Year over year it receives significantly less funding than other cancer research, despite its high mortality rates. This information needs to get broadcasted to all.
To donate to Joann please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s 2026 United Airlines NYC Half Marathon Fundraising Page. You can also access Joann’s fundraising page directly. To apply for a future marathon, or to learn more, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s half marathon page today.
