How Did Gabriele Grunewald Die? New Details On The Marathon Runner Who Lost Her Battle With Cancer At Age 32
Rest in peace, Gabriele.
Instagram She was a marathon runner who was well respected in her field. And, for a time, it looked like she would beat the odds. But on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, she lost her battle with cancer. How did Gabriele Grunewald die?
Gabriele Grunewald was once an Olympic hopeful who spread a message of hope to all who ran into her. Many people believed that she would beat the odds and pull through, especially after she beat cancer three other times. Unfortunately, this fourth time proved to be her last time.
Let’s look back at the inspirational life of Gabriele Grunewald.
1. Her husband reported her death.
According to Radar Online, Dr. Justin Grunewald — who was Gabriele’s husband — took to Instagram to announce that Gabriele had, indeed, passed away. She was only 32 years old.
“At 7:52 I said ‘I can’t wait until I get to see you again’ to my hero, my best friend, my inspiration, my wife. I always felt like the Robin to your Batman and I know I will never be able to fill this gaping hole in my heart or fill the shoes you have left behind. Your family loves you dearly as do your friends,” he wrote, according to the outlet.
Justin went on to thank celebrities like Fixer Upper star Chip Gaines for their unwavering support of his wife.
2. Gabriele Grunewald had been fighting cancer for more than 10 years.
According to E! News, Gabriele Grunewald had been bravely battling different forms of cancer for more than a decade. She’d proved to be an inspiration to many because she was able to continue to train — and run — throughout her battle with cancer.
3. She chronicled her cancer struggle on social media.
According to the New York Times, one of the things that made Gabriele Grunewald so special was that she was so open with her cancer struggles on social media. She frequently posted updates about her battles, and she was best known for a scar that ran across her abdomen.
But her struggle was not without pain, as well.
“The cancer that interrupted her athletic goals emerged in 2009 and would return over the next decade in various forms. The first of her operations, for a tumor in her neck, damaged a facial nerve that permanently changed her smile. Even though she said it made her cringe to look in the mirror, she smiled often, especially at starting lines,” the outlet wrote.
4. Despite her cancer battle, Gabriele Grunewald went on to make the Olympic Trials.
Making the Olympic Trials is difficult enough for a healthy athlete — which makes it all the more amazing that Gabriele Grunewald made it while suffering from cancer.
“She reached the 1,500-meter final at the 2016 Olympic Trials despite the return of her cancer; shortly after the race, her husband gave her a hug and noticed a mass in her stomach. The cancer had moved to her liver, half of which she had to have removed. Grunewald needed increasingly harsh chemotherapy treatments, yet she raced on, her long arching scar unhidden as she ran. The medicine drained her, but she made a point to keep racing,” reports Deadspin, who also said that Grunewald had hoped to compete for the 2020 Olympics.
Our thoughts are with Gabriele Grunewald’s friends and family during this difficult time.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. Find her online at www.bernadettegiacomazzo.com and www.longlivetheuprising.com.