#BraveLikeGabe

A few months ago I shared a short documentary in a Friday Favorites post about Gabe Grunewal. She has been a pro athlete with Brooks for the past eight years. And although the length of her professional running career is impressive, there is something even more awe-inspiring about her story... She is currently battling her fourth recurrence of cancer.

Through it all she has been able to compete during periods of remission and keeps an extremely positive outlook. She continues to train even while in the process of receiving treatment, but she still wants to do more. And although tons of folks have rallied behind her using the battle cry of #BraveLikeGabe, she says that it’s time to recognize it’s not all about her. She wants to focus on helping others find their own opportunities to be brave. She’s thinking beyond her running career and wants to use the platform she has to be a voice for others (specifically young people with cancer).

Source: @BrooksRunning Twitter Feed

For Gabe, being brave means continuing to train even when doctors tell her she'll never be as fast as she was before. It means living a full life with her husband and going about her normal routine as a professional athlete. For someone else, being brave could mean having the courage to run their first mile. If we truly take "Brave Like Gabe" to heart, it means persevering through challenges without comparing ourselves to anyone else.

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“Brave Like Gabe” is no longer just a social media hashtag. Gabe is developing it into a non-profit organization. Her work will focus on fundraising for research about rare cancers. Through her non-profit she wants to not only raise funds and awareness, but also continue to empower and encourage an active lifestyle for everyone (cancer survivor or not)!

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As a way to recognize Gabe's positive spirit and love for running, Brooks is asking folks to dedicate their next run to her - whether it's one mile or one hundred. If you're interested, it is super easy to get involved! First, download and print off the PDF. Next, record your miles on the document. Finally, share your dedication on social media using #BraveLikeGabe. I can't wait to watch all of the miles add up, all in honor of this ROCKSTAR! Ryan and I ran 10 miles yesterday for Gabe!

What is one way that you are currently being brave?