BethAnn Telford, a lifelong athlete from Fairfax, Virginia, held onto a single word through every medical, physical, and emotional challenge she faced: hope. That one word carried her over hurdle after hurdle, and along the way, she carried the hopes of others with her.
In 2004, at mile nineteen of the Marine Corps Marathon, she felt a sudden popping sensation in her head. The diagnosis that followed was dire: a malignant brain tumor. Surgery forced her to step away from the active life she knew, and in its aftermath, doctors tested her extremities to confirm she could still feel her legs and toes. She was in pain, afraid of losing function, and uncertain what recovery would look like. The surgery went well, but as part of that recovery, BethAnn had to teach herself to walk again — first standing, then taking her first steps, determined not to give up. Each day, as her strength returned, she used the hospital hallways as a training circuit, pushing herself a little further with her friends and family by her side.
She also feared losing cognitive function, and even now, when exhausted at the end of a long day, she struggles to find the right words and tends to slur her speech — the words sitting just out of reach. A month after surgery, she entered a local 5K, the first in what would become a long string of races that proved her strength and determination. Doctors, family, and friends urged her to walk rather than run, and she took their advice — until she saw her father cheering her on from the sidelines. Something in her shifted, and she ran the rest of the way to the finish.
That same year, she returned to the Marine Corps Marathon, then went on to compete in sprint- and Olympic-distance triathlons as well as half-Ironmans. Brain cancer didn't slow her down — it pushed her through three full Ironman triathlons, three Boston Marathons, and more than a few Turkey Trots in Virginia Run.
Knowing that brain cancer is the leading disease killer of children under 20, Telford often rises at 3 a.m. to train. The children are what keep her going, especially heading into each Marine Corps Marathon, where she dedicates every one of the 26 miles to a child who has battled cancer — or one who didn't survive it. Twenty-six children, or their loved ones, run beside her as her "coaches," one for every mile.
Through the races, the training, and the ongoing fight against cancer, Telford held onto one dream she refused to let go of: competing in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. In 2012, Ironman launched its Kona Inspired program, and athletes and fans voted BethAnn one of the most inspiring, determined competitors in the sport — earning her a spot at the World Championship, a race consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon.
Just ten days after finishing the Ironman in Kona, BethAnn was back at her desk at the U.S. Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C. Every time she stepped out of her office, she found a new admirer — colleagues, security guards, visitors — all eager to congratulate the 43-year-old special events coordinator on finishing one of the world's toughest races. Many simply stared in amazement.
BethAnn learned from her father that she could do anything she set her mind to, and that independence was hers to claim. Running had always been her way of testing her limits — and after surgery, it became her way of reclaiming them, a yardstick she refused to fall short of.
Since her recovery, she has averaged three to four marathons a year — usually one or two each in spring and fall. "I think the most I've done in a year was five: the Shamrock Marathon and Boston Marathon in the spring, and the Air Force Marathon, Steamtown Marathon, and Marine Corps Marathon in the fall," she says.
Dr. Tiffany Sotelo of George Washington University Hospital performed two surgeries to implant a neurostimulator that helps control BethAnn's bladder function. The surgeries have helped, though her bladder capacity has continued to decline, raising concerns about her kidneys. She later underwent a bladder augmentation to relieve that stress. As an athlete, she still has to plan around moments she can't control — but she has learned to meet them with more boldness and less worry.
"I showed cancer that I'm a fighter. My brain cancer is still not gone, but since diagnosis I have run every MCM. Through Pacers Running Stores and Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure, I fight for children with cancer who cannot fight themselves. My motto in running and life is Never, Never, Never Give Up!" BethAnn says. To learn more about BethAnn, visit www.teambt.org. To learn how you can help raise awareness of brain tumors and brain cancer, visit www.abc2.org.