BethAnn Telford Ran Around the World to Raise Awareness and Spread Hope

In our first chat, BethAnn Telford shared some of her story including the moment, at Mile 19 of the Marine Corps Marathon, when she realized something was seriously wrong.

BethAnn Telford and Old Glory

A diagnosis of a brain tumor altered her life but didn’t stop her.

Today we will go a few easy miles as she shares how raising funds and awareness for this personal cause has literally taken her around the world.

Race For Hope

The month of May is dedicated to Brain Cancer Awareness.

The Washington D.C. Race For Hope is the largest 5k benefitting brain cancer and tumors.

In the past 11 years, Race for Hope has raised over 30 million dollars.

Over 11,000 people participate every year, including over 300 survivors.

David Cooke, from American Idol, was touched by brain cancer when he lost his brother to the disease.

People from all backgrounds come together with one common goal- to find a cure for this devastating illness.

Around The World In 7 Days

In 2017, BethAnn took part in the World Marathon Challenge.

In the span of 7 days, she would run a marathon on every continent.

The order in which she ran was: Antarctica, South America (Chile), North America (South Beach, FL), Europe (Spain), Africa, Asia (Dubai), and finally Australia (Sydney).

Each marathon was challenging for various reasons and the travel added an extra element of exhaustion.

A person without brain cancer would find this kind of challenge hard enough, but for BethAnn proper recovery between each race was vital.

On flights between races, she would get IV’s administered to her by a doctor.

BethAnn successfully accomplished her goal of completing all 7 marathons and in the process raised funds and awareness for her cause.

Her proudest moment was not finishing the challenge, but rather when she was given the best sportsmanship award as voted upon by her fellow runners.

BethAnn Telford and Her WMC Bling

Every Little Bit Counts

Since her initial diagnosis, BethAnn has raised over 1 million dollars over the course of 15 years.

She is just as appreciative of a $1 donation as she is for a larger amount because each dollar goes one step further towards finding a cure.

When raising money for a cause it can often be intimidating to ask others for donations.

Some things she has found to be helpful when fundraising are:

• Explain the WHY behind the fundraising.
• Personalize the journey by either telling your story, explaining why the charity is important to you, or finding someone with a story that you can share.
• People want to know that you’re not perfect and it’s ok to share your struggles.
• Get a sponsor for every mile (especially longer races).

BethAnn won’t stop until a cure is found for this disease that affects so many.

She is in the planning stages for her next challenge that will raise awareness and funding.

Mentioned In This Episode:

• Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure (ABC2)
• National Brain Tumor Society
• World Marathon Challenge
• Race For Hope
• BethAnn Telford Episode 264 (Round 1)

If you want to connect with BethAnn check out her Website: Team BT and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

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