Last March, Anne Noble was in the midst of training for her fourth Boston Marathon when she went in for a scheduled surgery to remove a 3cm schwannoma tumor that was pushing on her vocal cord. She was told it went very well, and was discharged the next day. Unexpected complications, however, sent her back to the hospital, and in the weeks that followed she underwent two major throat surgeries and an emergency midnight tracheotomy. Her medical crisis kept her from the start line of the 2019 Boston Marathon, but she was determined to race. Less than two months after leaving the hospital, she ran eight miles and set her sights on running her 20th marathon in Chicago with the Children’s Tumor Foundation NF Endurance team.
“When I was 7 years old, I was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2). I’ve had surgeries for tumors in my brain, spine, ears, leg, eyes, and most recently my throat. When I was 19 I became totally deaf, but I am fortunate to do very well with my Auditory Brainstem Implant. Having NF2 has been a battle throughout my life. I am fortunate to proudly be not only a survivor, but I’d say I’m more than mostly healthy, thanks to my CTF family, as they support research that goes into clinical trials, and more!”
Anne, now 31, is a longtime NFE athlete. She has completed multiple marathons and IRONMAN triathlons, and qualified for the Boston Marathon four times, all while raising thousands of dollars for CTF. She also works tirelessly to raise NF awareness and recruit runners to the cause, including her 2019 Chicago Marathon teammate Manolo Teijelo:
“Anne and I connected last year (2018) …I was moved by Anne’s story, her struggles with the disease, her grit and determination, and her positive outlook on life. I told her I would support her efforts and run for CTF the following year, 2019.”
Manolo is unaffected and had no connection to NF before being contacted by Anne. The two became friends over email and social media but would not meet in person until race weekend. The 2019 Chicago Marathon was Anne’s 20th and Manolo’s 7th marathon finish. Both are back on the NF Endurance team for 2020: Manolo is running the 2020 Chicago and NYC Marathons and Anne is running the 2020 Little Rock Marathon!
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If you would like to run the Chicago Marathon with the NF Endurance team, please visit nfendurance.org/chicagomarathon; if you would like to run the New York City Marathon with the NF Endurance team, please visit nfendurance.org/nycmarathon. Or, for a list of all upcoming events, please visit www.nfendurance.org.
Photo top left, painting by Rachel Mindrup of Anne running the Boston Marathon for CTF, part of her Many Faces of NF collection.
