Messages to Gabriele Grunewald

Gabriele Grunewald was moved to comfort care on Sunday evening. The 32-year-old runner had battled multiple bouts of rare cancer. Grunewald was initially diagnosed with a rare cancer called adenoid cystic carcinoma in 2009. She was later diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2010 before facing another bout of adenoid cystic carcinoma in 2016 and 2017.

RELATED: Gabe: Brooks documentary details track athlete Gabriele Grunewald’s battle with cancer

Grunewald is one of America’s strongest distance runners, holding U.S. championship titles and the 12th fastest time ever run by an American woman over 1,500m at 4:01.48.

But Grunewald will be remembered by so much more than her remarkable running results. She founded the not-for-profit Brave Like Gabe. She said on the website, “My goal is to raise awareness for these diseases, the research funding disparities, and other challenges that prevent these cancers from having effective treatment options. Through Brave Like Gabe fundraising efforts, we will support research and accelerate treatments for rare cancer patients.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxEHsfbhXmd/

Grunewald touched the lives of so many in the running community and beyond, as was evidenced by the flood of messages she received on social media over the last week. Some of them are listed below. See here to donate to Brave Like Gabe.

Kara Goucher

I love you so much @gg_runs! Thank you for showing me what bravery looks like. Always love your way. ❤️❤️#bravelikegabe

— Kara Goucher (@karagoucher) June 9, 2019

Mario Fraioli

https://twitter.com/mariofraioli/status/1137879388693778433

Steve Magness

Dear @gg_runs, you combined a fierce competitiveness on the track with kindness off of it. You set the standard for handling adversity with grit and grace that we all will try to live up to. #BraveLikeGabe #NotToday https://t.co/sSPcgqFmbG

— Steve Magness (@stevemagness) June 9, 2019

Stephanie Bruce

A text exchange from 2017 between @gg_runs and I. She was always planning her runs and meet ups around chemotherapy and procedures. Not what a young person should have to do. But she lived with passion, positivity, and perseverance. Love you Gabe❤️❤️ #BraveLikeGabe pic.twitter.com/t0Bs6VzaUY

— Stephanie Bruce (@Steph_Rothstein) June 9, 2019

Her husband

https://www.instagram.com/p/BygFW1pHyag/