Elena Togashi is running Boston as a cancer survivor
"This January, I marked 25 years in remission from Hodgkin's Lymphoma and decided to run my 13th marathon for Dana-Farber."
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon runners share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston.
Name: Elena Togashi
Age: 45
From: Arlington
This January, I marked 25 years in remission from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and decided to run my 13th marathon for Dana-Farber. Being a survivor made fundraising for cancer research a very personal choice; I have lived a full life since diagnosis and want to enable others to have the same opportunity.
As a sophomore at Brown University, I had been focused on academics, my social life, and planning to study abroad but on April 1st, I had a less than funny April Fool’s joke: I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and was about to start six months of chemotherapy and a month of daily radiation.
This experience at 19 was the best thing to happen to me; as an adult, I regularly think about making life choices that matter and remember to keep things in perspective. Things can change overnight and you should live without regret.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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