Orla McCarville’s Journey Through Cancer and Running

If you'd like to donate to Orla's fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research Foundation for NYC marathon. https://give.bcrf.org/newyorkrundiva The Story Orla McCarville was diagnosed with breast cancer just before Christmas 2024. Rather than stepping back from her life, she ran straight through treatment—literally. She completed six rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, and 19 sessions of radiation, all while lacing up her running shoes and even racing on chemo days. Key Moments Diagnosis as a starting line, not an ending. Orla reframed her diagnosis as a reason to move forward, not retreat. Running as medicine. She found that the steroids from chemo gave her energy to keep running, and her oncology team supported the routine. The hardest days weren't the treatment days—they were the days she couldn't run. Celebrating the finish. After her final immunotherapy session, Orla threw a "cancer-free party," treating milestones as victories worth marking. What's Next Orla is training for the New York City Marathon, running for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Her message to others facing challenges: "If I can do this during chemo, so can you." There's something striking about using the very body that's being treated as the vehicle for healing—running becomes both defiance and therapy. If you want to adjust the tone, length, or focus (maybe highlight more of her mental health insights or the fundraising angle), let me know.