Team Brave Like Gabe x TC 10 Mile
The Brave Like Gabe Foundation was honored to be an Official Charity Partner for the 2023 Medtronic TC 10 Mile. Our incredible team of charity runners raised over $24,000 for rare cancer research.
“It’s not what I expected, but I’ll adjust.” - Gabe Grunewald
Gabe’s words felt extra meaningful on the morning of October 1st when not only our 26 runners, but thousands of runners received the news of the 10 Mile and Marathon cancellation due to unsafe weather conditions. Although we feel sad for all of the runners who were looking forward to racing, we are extremely grateful for Twin Cities In Motion in making the smart call to protect the safety of all participants and volunteers.
Despite disappointment in not running an “official” race, many of our runners chose to complete their 10 miles on their own time when they felt comfortable to run. This shows the amazing dedication of our team to adjust their plans when things don’t go as expected. We are inspired by the resilience and determination of our 2023 group and we look forward to having future charity runner teams who remind us that hope and bravery is possible through every situation.
Meet our 2023 Medtronic TC 10 Mile Charity Runners
Ashley Grunewald
“Brave Like Gabe was founded by my late sister-in-law, professional runner Gabriele Grunewald.
During the 10 mile shortcut to the capitol, I will be running for rare cancer research and to honor the life and legacy of Gabriele Grunewald and Abigail Anderson, sisters and best friends throughout their time on earth and hereafter. I run to be closer to them. I’m running to nourish my capacity to be present for myself, my family, friends and community, and to better my patients during my rotations. I’m running because I can, and I have the privilege to. "We run on hope. We run for research. We are not giving up." -Gabe Grunewald”
Briee Mercier
“I am especially passionate about this organization for a couple reasons.
#1 As a physical therapist I know the amazing benefits of physical activity and specifically for those going through a cancer diagnosis or treatment. I love the mission of Brave Like Gabe to empower all cancer survivors through physical activity.
#2 As a current PhD student I am in the thick of learning about the grant writing and applying process and have an even deeper understanding of the difficulty of funding science, and especially something like rare cancer. I love that this organization directly funds rare cancer researchers doing this work.
#3 Hope. I love all the hope Gabe has brought to so many people's lives including my own. My mom has gone through a rare cancer diagnosis so we know personally the stress and strain that can cause. I try to run on hope each day and hope to inspire others to do the same!”
Lynn Carlson
“I'm running the Twin Cities 10 miler to raise funds for the Brave Like Gabe foundation. This nonprofit, established by the late Grabe Grunewald, supports rare cancer research. To me, being Brave Like Gabe means helping others even when we are facing our own struggles and using hope, joy, and love as the fuel to adjust and keep going. In the last 13 years, I've competed in races from the 5K to a 100 miler, cherishing the support of friends, family, and the community along the way. Now, I'm eager to channel my passion for running into giving back and supporting others. Your donation or sharing of this link would mean the world. Let’s work together to fund rare cancer research.”
Renee Sothard
“I have followed Gabe's journey and continue to be encouraged by her by keeping her picture next to my treadmill at home. It has been my goal to do a fund raiser race for Brave Like Gabe - this will be a reality on October 1st with a 10 mile race in the Twin Cities - Minnesota.”
Linley and Bryce Richter
“There ain't nothing better than a brother/sister duo. Bryce and I are running for Brave Like Gabe in honor of Gabe and our families. Can't wait to run, sweat, and have a heck of a good time. We are challenging ourselves physically to run this race and to raise double what the charity is asking! Help us reach our goal of $3000 for Brave Like Gabe and we'll see you on the course on October 1st.”
Alyssa and Jeremiah Hawkins
“Why run the 10 Mile for Brave Like Gabe? Because we can. We are grateful for the ability to run and it's even better when we can do it as family. There's no question that rare cancers need more funding, so sharing Gabe's story and inviting people to donate to this mission is easy. The only challenge: getting our sister to join us next year!!”
Lily Rogers-Grant and Sam Bach
“A note from Lily:
In June of 2019, my dad, Larry Grant, passed away from cancer. My dad showed incredible resilience and courage even towards the end of his life. One of my fond memories was back when I was in high school. My dad famously said "keep going, Lil" during one of my many races. That's who my dad was, steady and practical. He never got "too enthusiastic" but I always knew he was supporting me in his own way. These words meant a great deal to me and I continue to tell myself "keep going" when life gets tough. After his loss, I found comfort in connecting with other people who had lost a loved one to cancer. This is where BLG came in. I am running in honor of my dad and all the people who have been impacted by this disease. I'm proud to be supporting BLG and thankful for Gabe's hope and bravery.”
Alicia Civiok and Mia Chong
“Our dear friend, Greg Jerome, passed away this past June. He was so many things, a father, a teacher, a musician, a runner, a cyclist, and he was such a good man. His smile and laugh made your heart swell, and his generosity of spirit was unmatched. He was the type of man you hope your son will turn out to be. Throughout his cancer battles he was strong and inspirational, and the Brave Like Gabe foundation embodies that same spirit. We hope that we can raise funds in his honor, to help in their mission to "Support rare cancer research and empower all cancer survivors through physical activity."
Bill Hartmann
In response to the question of why he chose to run, Bill says,
“I also had cancer removed from my salivary gland in 2022, and felt it would be meaningful to contribute and add to the awareness of the cause.”
Maria de Leon
“Like many, my life has been touched by cancer diagnoses of people I love and I am happy to support a cause that will provide additional support to research and a hopeful cure to this disease. Additionally, I intend to live out the mission of bravery throughout my life. My favorite quote from Gabe and something that I frequently remind myself of "It's okay to struggle but it's not okay to give up on yourself or your dreams."
Team Hope in Motion
Running on Hope is more than a hashtag. It is motivation to keep moving forward each day, one foot in front of the other. Because we can! We are passionate about sharing hope with our family, friends and neighbors who have been impacted by cancer.
Annie Call
Kenrea Perell
Katie St Cyr
Sheila Scheuer
Erica Hansen
Not Pictured: Miranda Solem
Lisa Boulay
“I am passionate about this campaign because like many people I have lost a loved one to cancer. I have run the Twin Cities Marathon for the past 41 years, one year I finished after the finish line closed and another year I dropped out at the 5 mile mark. Like most people I hate asking for money, I can only ask for money if it is I truly believe in. The Brave like Gabe Foundation, is one of those, like many women runners I admired "Gabe" Grunewald a professional runner who continued to run and compete even as she battled a rare cancer. She lost her battle in June 2019 but her foundation continues to inspire others and find better more effective treatments for cancer.”
Tiffany Calhoun
“I first heard Gabe's story when she was on one of my favorite podcasts. Like anyone who heard her, I was struck by and impacted to this day to her positive attitude. I also felt a certain kinship with her a small town northern MN gal. We grew up just about 100 miles apart. She was able to acknowledge how awful her situation was, but still have optimism. I have been through some trying times myself (haven't we all?); loss, grief, substance use disorder, and one of the things that really helped me turn the corner was to remember Gabe's words.
I will be running to celebrate 1,000 days of sobriety. I made it through a really hard thing, and running played a huge role in that. I ran my first marathon in over a decade in early sobriety, and it was so instrumental in helping me heal.”
Tonia Roemer
“My daughter runs for the U of M where Gabe ran under the same coach. And I'm passionate about running for a cause like cancer!”
Kari Nelson
“As part of my training, I have joined the Brave Like Gabe team to help raise money for rare cancer research. Cancer impacts so many of us in our daily lives and I welcomed the opportunity to join my passion for running with a foundation that was created by Gabe Grunewald, professional runner and her mission to raise awareness, hope and strength for those impacted by rare cancers. Your donation to my fundraiser supports Brave Like Gabe and critical rare cancer research at places like the University of Minnesota, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.”
Hiroko Bretz
“This is my second Twin Cities 10M, and this year, I am excited to join the Team Brave Like Gabe! The race is on my actual birthday, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate.”
Chris Buttke
“I’m very inspired by Gabe’s story and want to support the charity. I am looking forward to a great run!”
Fundraising page coming soon