Race City: Newark, New Jersey
Josephine's Story:
In September of 1998, Josephine picked up her 3 children from school and told them to do their homework while waiting for her to have her annual mammogram. She was 44 and her children were 8,9 and 15. That afternoon would stretch into the early evening as multiple clusters of calcifications were found on her left breast and she received the grim news that she needed a biopsy.
Josephine had a marathon to run the next week and needed a good time if she was to qualify for the next Boston Marathon. Her breast surgeon told her that she needed a biopsy, but that it could wait until she completed the Steamtown Marathon, which she did. The biopsy was positive and when her surgeon delivered the bad news, she silently prayed for the chance to achieve her goal of running the Boston Marathon.
Josephine had her surgery with reconstruction and ran the Boston Marathon in 3 hours and 45 minutes the next year, with her family cheering for her at Heartbreak Hill (mile 23). Since then Josephine has completed 9 more marathons and the JFK 50 mile ultra marathon as well as many Komen Race for the Cure races.
