#bravelikegabe
This is a tough story for me to type out, 1) because I want to be as respectful as possible to Gabe, Justin and their families — and 2) I feel closer to them than I should be, having never met Gabe or her family in person.
However, I have followed her career pretty closely as a fan of the sport. I was there when she won the Festival of Miles 800 meter race in 2011, and I was enthralled when she won the 2014 USATF indoor 3000m… only to be disqualified… only to be reinstated 2 days later.
That is the sporting side of her story that means so much more because of the battle she has been fighting for a decade now. Gabe Grunewald is a cancer survivor, and that’s where our stories cross in a much more meaningful way. Whether she knows it or not… she has helped me and my family more than she will ever know.
I don’t have what you might consider a “traditional” family background, my parents were teenagers when I was born and I am closer in age to my Aunts and Uncle than my sister. My mom passed away when I was 3 and from that point my Grandparents became a very important piece of my life. My Grandma (M as we called her) very much lived up to being the familial matriarch and is weaved into every thread of the person I am today.
So you can imagine just how tough it was on everyone when she was diagnosed with a rare form of Brain Cancer (glioblastoma) in 2015. Having a loved one battle cancer is incredibly hard. In my grandma’s case, she was handling it better than we were… but the thing about cancer — it’s an asshole who doesn’t care about some imaginary timetable you have for dealing with the gravity of the situation you have been thrust into. One day you’re having hour long conversations with your grandmother, the next day she has trouble remembering why you dropped by for a visit. Cancer also doesn’t have a timetable for when it’s ready to take your loved one from you and if your loved one is a fighter… Cancer might not get its way either.
M was a fighter, us Hornekers are traditionally very stubborn after all… but that’s also what connected me to Gabe’s story. Not only is Gabe a fighter as well… but she was still racing, wearing her surgery like a badge of honor, and raising awareness for the cause.
Gabe Grunewald is a paragon of courage.
Watching from a far and seeing how open she was with what she was going through and how defiant she was in the face of her battle very much gave me hope that maybe M could beat the battle too… or at the very least fight valiantly.
It gave us hope, in a time when you don’t know if tomorrow will be your last day with a person who meant so much to your life. The reality is our family still hurts from losing her, it’s been 2 years and a week since M passed away and I still think about her most days.
If you pay attention to my Instagram you will notice the Gray wristband that I haven’t taken off in 4 years (outside of NCAA competitions when they made me go without it). In these moments you need stories of people overcoming the odds to give you hope for the future. Hope that eventually you will accept the circumstances… and just because you accept the circumstances doesn’t mean you have given up.
That’s the thing about Grief though, you often need to look outside of yourself for help dealing with the situation and processing the emotions. That’s when I emotionally attached myself to Gabe’s story, if she can seem emotionally grounded in the hardest situation; then I can work through my emotions and cherish every moment I have with my loved ones. It’s easy to worry about yourself and your grief and not fully enjoy the time of your loved one who doesn’t know how much time she has left. Gabe was instrumental in helping me realize that, all while being hundreds of miles away.
Since Justin’s announcement that Gabe’s condition has worsened… it’s all I’ve been able to think about. It feels slightly silly having never personally interacted with her outside of a few liked comments on Instagram but I know I’m not the only one to feel these emotions.
The running community as a whole has felt so connected to Gabe’s story.
Hopefully Gabe and her family can see just how much light her story brings to others.
We can not let that end, even when she’s no longer with us — her impact on this community will last forever.
#bravelikegabe
“Brave Like Gabe” started as a hashtag to support professional runner Gabriele “Gabe” Grunewald as she sought treatment for her third battle with an incurable rare salivary gland cancer in 2017.
The Brave Like Gabe Foundation was formed in 2018 as a way for Gabe to continue to share her story, connect with patients, and make a difference in the cancer community.
She has experienced firsthand many of the challenges faced by rare cancer patients and the need for dedicated research funding.”
