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Pro runner.
Rare cancer advocate.
Relentless optimist.

 

Gabriele “Gabe” Grunewald (née Anderson) was a professional American middle-distance runner and lifelong Minnesotan, born and raised in Perham, MN (population 2,985).

She won a single track & field state title in the 800-meters competing for Perham High School. Gabriele walked-on to the University of Minnesota cross country and track & field teams in 2004, where she was a part of several Big Ten Championship squads and eventually became an NCAA track & field All-American with a runner-up finish in the 1500-meters in 2010, her final collegiate race.

Gabriele ran professionally for Brooks beginning in 2010 until her passing in 2019.

Her career highlights include a 4th-place finish in the 2012 USA Olympic Trials and a USA Championship title in the indoor 3000-meters in 2014. Her personal best in the 1500-meters is 4:01.48, making her the 11th fastest performer in USA history.

 

Gabriele survived multiple bouts with cancer—initially diagnosed with a rare salivary gland cancer, adenoid cystic carcinoma, in 2009, and thyroid cancer in 2010. Throughout her cancer journey, Gabriele continued to compete and run professionally.  

Gabriele aimed to return to elite competition in 2018 and continued training despite ongoing treatments and setbacks. She strongly believed in finding out what was possible despite her diagnosis and encouraged other cancer survivors to keep their minds open to the possibility of achieving their dreams and other goals by being brave in their own way.

After living for 10 years with adenoid cystic carcinoma, Gabriele passed away on June 11, 2019, at her home in Minneapolis surrounded by family and friends. Her story and legacy continue with the Brave Like Gabe Foundation that inspires others to share their own struggles while also helping to find better, more effective treatments for rare cancers. 

 
 
“I hope people see that you can still make something beautiful and powerful out of a bad situation.”
— Gabriele Grunewald
 
 
 
 
 
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Why did you continue running through each diagnosis and treatment? 

 
 
Gabriele after hepatectomy surgery

Gabriele after hepatectomy surgery

Throughout each new diagnosis and treatment, I have made the choice to run and train when my body allows. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has always been the right decision for me.

From the very first day I was told I had cancer in 2009, I knew running would be a big part of my journey back to health. It has truly been my refuge; when everything else seems to be going wrong and the outcomes are far beyond my control, I can find perspective and hope on the run.

I believe that continuing to pursue my goals on the track has helped me to carry on with purpose in my life in the face of an uncertain future.

The mental boost I get from my daily run has become so important to me and is something I wish I could share with every cancer survivor. 

It has become more and more of a challenge over the past two years (since my recurrence) to maintain the consistency and intensity of training required to be one of the best runners in the world, but I’m not giving up on my dream of taking one more shot at the Olympics in 2020!

Being brave, for me, means not giving up on the things that make me feel alive.

— Gabriele Grunewald

 
 
 
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Why did you want to start your foundation?

 
 
 

Founding Brave Like Gabe is my way to give back to the communities who have generously and enthusiastically supported me on this challenging professional-runner-battling-cancer journey.

I would love to live in a world where rare cancer patients have more treatment options and ultimately, cures. And if I can’t live in that world, I want to help it become a possibility for future patients.

I remember feeling devastated when I realized how little research had been done on my cancer and the fact that there were not any FDA-approved treatments for my disease—I don’t want any patient to feel that way; that they’re alone in their fight or that the medical research community doesn’t care about their cancer.

My goal is to raise awareness for these diseases, the research funding disparities, and other challenges that prevent these cancers from having effective treatment options. Through Brave Like Gabe fundraising efforts, we will support research and accelerate treatments for rare cancer patients.

I also want to empower cancer survivors to move their bodies! There are so many benefits to incorporating physical activity in your life whether you are a cancer survivor or not, and I want to continue to encourage an active lifestyle for everyone.

Physical activity is a critical part of cancer prevention and is also a way for patients and survivors to ease treatment side effects, tolerate new therapies, and improve their mental health (1) . Brave Like Gabe aims to inspire and support everyone on their personal fitness journey.

I find the courage to keep running and racing through hope. Hope for a future treatment that might work for me and for others in similar situations. That hope comes from research. You could say I run on hope.

We run on hope. We run for research. We are not giving up. #BraveLikeGabe.

— Gabriele Grunewald

 
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Scholarly Resources.

“There is substantial evidence that higher levels of physical activity are linked to lower risks of several cancers.” (1)

“Too much rest can lead to loss of body function, muscle weakness, and reduced range of motion. So today, many cancer care teams are urging their patients to be as physically active as possible during cancer treatment. Many people are learning about the advantages of being physically active after treatment, too.” (4)

“Research indicates that physical activity may have beneficial effects for several aspects of cancer survivorship--specifically, weight gain, quality of life, cancer recurrence or progression, and prognosis (likelihood of survival). Most of the evidence for the potential benefits of physical activity in cancer survivors comes from people diagnosed with breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer.” (2a, 2b)

 

Ways Exercise Can Help

  • Keep or improve your physical abilities (how well you can use your body to do things)

  • Improve balance, lower risk of falls and broken bones

  • Keep muscles from wasting due to inactivity

  • Lower the risk of heart disease

  • Lessen the risk of osteoporosis (weak bones that are more likely to break)

  • Improve blood flow to your legs and lower the risk of blood clots

  • Make you less dependent on others for help with normal activities of daily living

  • Improve your self-esteem

  • Lower the risk of being anxious and depressed

  • Lessen nausea

  • Improve your ability to keep social contacts

  • Lessen symptoms of tiredness (fatigue)

  • Help you control your weight

  • Improve your quality of life

  1. World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global PerspectiveExit Disclaimer. Washington DC: AICR, 2007.

  2. a. Speck RM, Courneya KS, Masse LC, Duval S, Schmitz KH.  An update of controlled physical activity trials in cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Cancer Survivorship 2010; 4(2):87-100.
    b. Rock CL, Doyle C, Demark-Wahnefried W, et al. Nutrition and physical activity guidelines for cancer survivors. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians 2012; 62(4):243-274.

  3. Grisham J. What are the benefits of exercising during and after cancer treatment? Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, January 2, 2014.

  4. Survivorship during and after treatment. American Cancer Society, March 24, 2014

  5. Physical Activity and Cancer. National Cancer Institute, January 27, 2017.