Help Kimberly raise money

When I was 15 years old, I watched my mother battle ovarian cancer for two years. Despite her strength, she ultimately lost her fight. Losing her at such a young age changed my life forever. 

For more than 20 years, I buried the fear that the same thing could happen to me. I tucked it away behind everyday life, building a barrier around thoughts & feelings I wasn’t ready to face. 

Earlier this year, that barrier came down. 

In 2026, I learned that I carry the BRCA1 gene mutation, which significantly increases my risk of both ovarian and breast cancer. While ovarian cancer was always on my radar because of my mother’s history, the high risk of breast cancer was something I had never truly considered. 

Suddenly, the fears I had buried for decades were no longer hypothetical. They became real.

The path forward for ovarian cancer prevention is relatively straightforward. Breast cancer prevention, however, feels more complicated. It often feels like a choice between living with constant monitoring and uncertainty or making life altering decisions about a part of yourself that is deeply connected to identity, femininity, and womanhood.

Shortly after receiving this news, I turned to running. 

What started as a way to process my emotions became much more than that. Running gives me a sense of control at a time when so much feels outside my control. With every run, I am reminded of what my body can do rather than what it may face in the future. Running has become my therapy, my outlet, and my way of moving forward. 

This race is about much more than crossing a finish line.

I run for my mother, who never had the opportunity to know she carried this gene.

I run for the family members who have fought, survived and continue to live with its lasting impact.

I run for the women facing impossible decisions as they try to protect their health while holding on to the parts of themselves that feel so fundamental to who they are.

Most importantly, I run for myself. 

I run to turn something painful into something positive. I run to raise awareness. I run to support research and those affected by breast cancer.

And I run to take back control 💖