In 2004, while running the Marine Corps Marathon, BethAnn Telford felt a “pop” in her head around mile marker nineteen and over the next couple of months started to experience problems with her balance and unclear thoughts. After several weeks of tests in the early winter of 2005, she learned she had brain cancer and that her life would forever be changed. In April of 2005, BethAnn had her first brain surgery and had to learn to walk, talk, and move all over again. As her rehabilitation began, she was determined to run again.

From January 23-29 of 2017, Telford took on The World Marathon Challenge. The challenge is a logistical and physical challenge to run 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 consecutive days. She feels that pushing her abilities is a way for her to tell her disease that it has not defeated her. The children that fight this disease in pediatric cancer wards and that she meets battling cancer are her inspiration to finish every race.

In addition to pushing her physical boundaries, she has dedicated herself to raising awareness of brain cancer and to finding a cure.The donations went towards Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure (ABC2), a Washington DC-based venture philanthropy nonprofit organization that drives cutting-edge research and treatments for brain cancer and brain tumors. She’s helped raise more than $835,000 for brain cancer research. Her motivation is knowing that she has played some part in helping to find a cure.

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