People are all-to-familiar with the story of the famous athlete battling adversity. The strong, determined individual who defies odds and overcomes opposition, just as they have defeated their opponents all their lives.

Yet, not every story is as simple as just that. Indeed, there are some individuals and some struggles that wind up being far more complicated. So when feisty, competitive runner, Gabrielle Anderson first got the news after seeing her doctor, she vowed to do what she'd always done: outrun it...

Gabriele

Gabriele Anderson, was named as such because her mother, Laura, liked Biblical names. In elementary school, her crueler classmates nicknamed her Gabe and despite her initial dislike of the name, it stuck. As she grew, Gabriele discovered that she had a particular penchant for running, one that would help carry her throughout life.

What a Time

At 5'6" and 110 pounds, Gabe was built for racing. She was tall, rail thin, and in perfect shape. Her high school and college careers were punctuated by racing victories and by the time she was 22 years old, she had finally earned an All-American title. She finally had the right numbers to begin a real professional running career...

Tiny Bump

Unfortunately, fate is fickle, and for every blessing, there is an equally impressive trial waiting to test us. Gabe, a fifth-year senior, had noticed something peculiar right below her left ear the week before a big track meet in Arizona. She went right to the doctor, who took a biopsy by removing some of the fluid in the bump. It was exceptionally painful.

Waiting for the Call

There Gabe was, sitting at a hotel in Tempe, Arizona, a mere day away from an important track meet, and receiving news that would alter the course of her life forever. The biopsy had revealed the very last thing an ambitious 22-year-old wants to hear: she had cancer...

The Diagnosis

Gabe's doctors told her she had something called adenoid cystic carcinoma or ACC for short. It was a rare type of cancer primarily found in the salivary glands. It's so rare in fact that it only occurs in 3.5 out of every million cancer patients.

Telling Everyone

As expected, Gabe would need surgery to remove the tumor. She met with her team and her coach and explained what had happened. To the other runners, it felt like one of their sisters was telling them that she had cancer. She would have to wait another year to try for All-American eligibility and the worst was yet to come...

What's Worse

The ACC wasn't your average cancer for another reason. It is characterized by returning, again and again, in different locations. Gabe couldn't believe what she was hearing, her cancer was essentially incurable. Even if they took out the tumor beneath her ear, the cancer would still be there, lurking inside of her.

Not the End

She flew back to Minnesota and underwent a grueling six-hour surgery. The tumor and one of her six salivary glands were removed but the doctors still to do follow up radiation treatments after that: for a full two months. And so, Gabriele's life with cancer began in earnest...

Eight Years Pass

For the next eight years, Gabriele's running life was peppered by random checks for more signs of the ACC. Just as the doctor's predicted, it came back three more times after that. The first occurred in 2010, a year after her initial diagnosis. This time it was thyroid cancer.

Running from It

Despite being somewhat related to the ACC, the thyroid cancer was an entirely different animal. The treatment for it was strenuous but it wasn't enough to stop Gabe from doing what she loved. Indeed, in the seven years that followed the thyroid cancer, she carved out a career as a solid professional middle-distance runner. But it was not an easy road...

Some Options

Multiple treatment options were considered, though most were rejected for their lack of efficationess. In the end, chemotherapy was chosen. Before she could begin the chemo though, Gabe would have to make sure she qualified for the next running season. Life went on without an issue until 2016.

Liver Issues

On the morning of Sunday, Aug. 7, Gabe was undergoing a checkup at the Abbott Northwestern Hospital ICU when a nurse came in and said her liver felt firmer than usual, dangerously so. She had a huge tumor in her liver. It was a preview of a cancer that would be unlike anything she had experienced in her life thus far...

Silver Lining

Thankfully, there was a silver lining. The enormous tumor, which had taken up most of her liver, could be removed, along with all the new cancer in there. The surgery was scheduled and went off without a hitch, but the following chemotherapy would prove to be some of Gabe's most challenging treatments.

Taking its Toll

The treatments, coupled with the lack of time and the inability to do the thing she loved the most, were all beginning to take their toll on Gabriele. She had to begin the chemo three days after the liver tumor was removed. Her doctors advised her not to go, but she ran regardless. Once that was done, it was time to move on to the next thing...

Doubts and Voices

It had always been a struggle for Gabe. With each passing day, each new tumor, each setback, she slipped further and further into doubt and despair. Though she had managed to find and marry the man of her dreams, she was besieged by thoughts of the vacations she'd never take and the races she'd never run.

Ready to Quit

And all through the chemo, the radiation, the endless doubt, and constant surgery, Gabe was still running. Try as she might to endure it, the chemo was taking its toll. She began to break down during practice, unable to finish due to the pain in her joints. This is too hard," she said at one point, "I can't do this anymore…."

More Tumors

To make matters worse, a few months later Gabe's doctor found 12 more tumors in her liver, each one smaller than a dime. Dr. Ho Fujioka could see Gabe and her husband's despair as he gave the news. "This is an ongoing process," he told them. "This is a marathon, not a sprint." The apt comparison hit home. Gabe was going to continue fighting.

Still Running From It

The tumors were removed and Gabe kept on living. Like the runner she is at heart, Gabe is constantly trying to get ahead of the cancer. She may never win the race, but she's confident enough in her own ability that she can outpace it at least. More importantly, her story continues to help others like herself...

Inspiring Other, Inspire Myself

Since her first brush with the ACC, Gabe has spoken openly about her experiences. Her story inspires other young afflicted athletes to push forward, despite themselves. In the same way, she also inspires herself to keep running, to keep moving, and to live her life and be the best she can be.

Still Fighting, Still Running

In the end, Gabe has vowed to keep fighting. All her trials and tribulations have made her stronger than she ever thought she could be -- and she's even vied for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. And if the struggle to keep the cancer at bay continues to try and slow her down, she will do what she has always done: run even faster.