Boston Bound, A Survivor’s Journey
“Last June, I rang the bell cancer-free. This April, I’ll cross another finish line at the Boston Marathon. From barely walking after chemotherapy to running 26.2 miles with Team Teal, every step is for those affected by ovarian cancer and for the power of a community that never stopped believing in me.”
Marathon Updates
Follow along in the coming weeks as we post updates on Hollie’s road to Boston.
Hollie Nelsen at SRQ Health Fair representing Team Teal. On April 20, Hollie will run the world’s oldest annual 26.2 mile race as a member of Team Teal.
From Stage 3 Cancer to Running the Boston Marathon
Last June, Hollie Nelsen stood smiling in the FCS Sarasota Downtown clinic as she rang the bell to celebrate completion of treatment for stage 3 ovarian cancer. Now cancer free, the avid long distance runner who “could barely walk down the street after six months of chemotherapy” is logging daily miles towards a different race she’s determined to finish—the Boston Marathon.
Recovering at home, Hollie was anxious to get moving again. She spotted the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s Team Teal tent while watching the Boston Marathon and learned the initiative brings endurance athletes together to raise awareness and funds to help prevent and cure ovarian cancer and honor those affected by the disease.
It was the push she needed.
On April 20, Hollie will run the world’s oldest annual 26.2 mile race as a member of Team Teal.
Admittedly treatment impacted her endurance. “It’s been a challenge to catch up,” she says, but she’s powering forward with determination—surrounded by a community that’s showing up for her at every step with open hearts, steady encouragement, and grassroots fundraising.
Hollie has surpassed her fundraising goal of $21,025 (signifying the date of her diagnosis), thanks to events embraced by her wide circle of supporters at Sarasota School of Arts & Sciences where she’s taught for 13 years.
“It’s been quite amazing,” she says. “I would never have imagined how many people would have been involved and been there for me.”
More good news arrived recently during Hollie’s three-month check-in, when FCS medical oncologist Elizabeth Guancial, MD confirmed that her scans were clear.
The woman who feared she might never run again is well on her way to crushing her comeback race—in the process serving as an inspiration for those affected by ovarian cancer.
“It’s something I’m meant to do,” Hollie says.
