BethAnn Telford (47) is eyeing an amazing feat — that of running seven marathons in seven days on seven different continents. And would you believe that the Washington DC resident is a brain cancer survivor?
Telford, who has been battling brain cancer since 2005, had gone through numerous brain surgeries before she successfully deactivated some cancer cells in her body that no longer have effect on her but those cells have left some scars that could never be fully destroyed.
The seizures made her left eye sight weaker and in a way, the brain cancer also affected her bladder, she said, while talking to ABC News. She even had a surgery for a major bladder augmentation.
Also Read: Kudos to this mom who pumps breast milk while running a marathon
Keeping all these health problems behind her, Telford will run this incredible race that spans around the world.
Since the day Telford found out about the cancer, which is more than a decade ago now, she has raised more than $800,000. She is participating in this marathon in the hope of getting donations for further check-ups. She aims to reach the $1 million mark.
The only thing that could land her in danger during the races is her bladder which she has to really keep an eye on when participating in the 2017 World Marathon Challenge. Thirty-three participants from 13 different countries are competing and the races will go on for the seven days. Each one of them has to spend 59 hours in flight spanning more than 23,600 miles.
“My bladder can only hold a shot glass of liquid,” she explained. “I use a self catheter, so when I go to the bathroom … during the marathons, I just don’t go into the jiffy pot. I have to keep it clean and sterilized.”
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The first marathon will kickstart in Union Glacier, Antarctica, on January 23. Apart from using the money for her health, Telford wishes to raise funds for pediatric cancer research too. It’s been 15 years since she pulled up her socks and started running marathons and it is essentially important for her to invest in children.
“Since I wasn’t able to have kids, I’ve ‘adopted’ hundreds and hundreds of children where I’ve tried to instill in them, and their families, that there’s hope,” she said. “Their last stop is the hospital. They don’t come home with their parents, unfortunately, and it saddens me that we can’t find a cure.”
She’ll be donating the raised funds to a Washington DC-based non-profit, Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure.
Also Read: Five of the most inspiring female marathon runners in the world
We admire Telford for her bold move. It is much bigger than winning and Cheers to your spirit Telford!!!
Feature image credit: WTOP.com
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