I’m so excited and honored to be selected to run the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon with Fred’s Team, the official running program of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)!

 

Getting to run with Fred’s Team means a tremendous amount to me. I know MSK is such an important place to so many who have experienced a cancer diagnosis. It is home to experts in more than 400 types of cancer, including ones so rare that many hospitals have never cared for people with these diseases. 100% of Fred’s Team funding allows MSK to continue making scientific discoveries and therapeutic breakthroughs that transform how people with cancer are treated worldwide.

 

I first came to understand the impact of MSK through my uncle, Dr. Lenny Wexler, a pediatric oncologist at MSK. I’ve had the honor of meeting some of his patients and seeing how not only his work, but his kindness and compassion, have been so impactful to them.

 

The work MSK does became even more meaningful to me when my Papa Arnie was diagnosed with Polycythemia Vera and Myelofibrosis, rare types of bone marrow cancer. MSK prioritizes rare cancer research, providing critical funding to doctors and scientists in pursuit of bold ideas. I will be running to celebrate the life of my Papa, working hard and smiling through every mile, exactly how he went through life.

 

In 1984, my other grandfather, Papa Teddy, completed the NYC Marathon just 2 years after open heart surgery. On the 42nd anniversary of him crossing that finish line, I will be running in honor of him too. Even with many health battles, he fought incredibly hard throughout his life and always showed up for the people he loved.

 

Additionally, I hope to honor all the cancer warriors I know, many of whom are/were treated at MSK. I will be thinking of you each step of the way.

 

I love you and miss you so much, Papa Arnie and Papa Teddy.

Uncle Lenny, I am so proud to be your niece.

 

This is for you all. Let’s run a marathon!