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Team LUNGevity—a group of endurance athletes committed to raising money for lung cancer—made its international debut in 2024 at the BMW Berlin Marathon. With five international races on the 2025 calendar, the year started with the Schneider Electric Paris Marathon in April, where sisters Katie and Bridget represented LUNGevity in France. Together, they raised $4,775 to support lung cancer research, support services, and programs—a cause close to their hearts as Katie is a lung cancer survivor at just 34 years old.
In 2023, Katie was diagnosed with neuroendocrine lung cancer (NET) when she was 12 weeks pregnant with her second child. She asked a lot questions, eventually getting to the one that would serve as future motivation. Katie asked the doctor what her diagnosis would mean for her running—one of her favorite hobbies— and was given the answer, “You’ll probably never be able to run a marathon.”
Three weeks after delivering a healthy baby boy, Katie had a lobectomy to remove half of her left lung. She’d beaten the lung cancer, welcomed her baby boy Tommy into the world, but still had one more accomplishment on her mind.
Read more about Katie’s diagnosis, pregnancy, and push to complete her first marathon.
Running a marathon had always been on her bucket list, so when Katie saw that LUNGevity had available registration slots for the Schneider Electric Paris Marathon, she and Bridget jumped on it. They turned their marathon adventure into a vacation, bringing along a cheer squad of family and friends to enjoy the iconic city and celebrate their race.
"It really was the trip of a lifetime. One of my biggest takeaways from the race was the pure humanity that surrounded me. I’d witnessed this as a marathon spectator, but it felt different from the other side as a runner. At one point during the race, I heard something fall on the street but didn’t think much of it. It turns out my headphone case slipped out of my belt and a woman stopped to pick it up, identified that it was mine, and ran up to hand it to me. I couldn’t believe it. Everywhere, runners were looking out for runners in the midst of their pain and suffering," says Katie.
It reminded me of the patients I’d see on the floor after my lobectomy. As I walked laps to regain strength post-surgery, cancer fighters surrounded me doing the same. We’d exchange soft smiles and empathetic waves. Almost as if we were communicating telepathically with one another, ‘This sucks, but we’ll get to the other side.’ Just like the runners, patients were looking out for patients in the midst of their pain and suffering.
With 25% less lung and 25% more heart—a common phrase amongst her family—Katie demonstrates that living life and accomplishing your dreams doesn’t stop after a diagnosis with lung cancer.
You can join Katie and Bridget as members of Team LUNGevity at races across the globe or right in your hometown. Learn more about how to get involved and race to stop lung cancer.
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