Gophers runner finds strength in numbers

She didn't have to run. On the day last month that Gabriele Anderson learned she had cancer, her Gophers track coaches told her she could withdraw from the 1,500 meters at the Sun Angel Classic the following afternoon.

In Anderson's mind, though, she needed to run, if only to feel the rush of competition one more time before her journey into the unknown. The senior captain would undergo a delicate, lengthy surgery six days later to remove a malignant tumor from her neck. With her life suddenly plunged into uncertainty, Anderson understood she had to seize the moment.

She ran the sixth-fastest time in Gophers history. This weekend, after her five-hour surgery and before a course of radiation treatment, Anderson will cheer on the sidelines as her teammates compete in the Big Ten outdoor track and field championships. Though she feels a touch of sadness at not being in uniform, her better emotions -- gratitude, optimism, courage -- have strengthened both Anderson and the women who run alongside her.

 "I'm a fifth-year senior, and this is my last season," said Anderson, who ran a career-best time of 4 minutes, 22.67 seconds in the 1,500 at the Sun Angel meet April 11 in Tempe, Ariz. "It was important to me to run. I didn't know what the next few days or weeks would hold or when my next opportunity would be.

"I think I've really gained perspective. It's important to do what you love when you have the opportunity to do it, and to be around the people you love while you can. For me, that doesn't mean changing everything. It means trying to get a sixth year to run again. People might be surprised by that, but this is what I love to do."

Anderson plans to petition the NCAA for another season of outdoor track eligibility, citing medical hardship. Doctors were able to remove the entire tumor, but they discovered more cancer cells along her facial nerve, and she will begin six to seven weeks of radiation treatment at the end of this month.

She will do so surrounded by the love of her teammates. Her bustling household of six track athletes, including distance specialists Megan Duwell, Heather Dorniden and Julie Schwengler, will remain intact while she undergoes treatment. Anderson's teammates are wearing "Gabe" patches on their uniforms, and for the Drake Relays -- Anderson's favorite meet -- they made T-shirts with her picture that asked, "Are You This Tough?"

"We're all friends, all sisters together, and we're supporting her in every way that friends do," Schwengler said. "[Coach Gary Wilson] always talks about how tough she is, and he means it. She is very upbeat right now, always smiling, and that's what is going to get her through this."

Anderson's cancer, adenoid cystic carcinoma, is rare and unpredictable. She first noticed a lump on her neck last fall, but she had no other symptoms and assumed it was not serious. When the lump persisted and became painful, she saw a doctor who diagnosed a tumor and performed a biopsy.

The Gophers had already arrived in Arizona when Anderson's doctor called with the results. She asked Wilson to come sit with her beside the hotel pool, then gave him the news. Later, she gathered her teammates at the hotel to tell them.

"We were all shocked, of course, but she handled it better than anybody," Wilson said. "The first thing out of her mouth was, 'Can I get a sixth year of eligibility?'

"She is one tough cookie. I've seen her run a terrible race, then come back with the best race of her life. She has the ability to persevere, to hope that things will get better, to say, 'Today will be a different day.' The way she is handling this is very inspirational."

Anderson hoped to delay her surgery until after the season, but it needed to be done as quickly as possible. She took a final training run the day before, knowing it could be her last for a while. Her coaches and teammates stayed with her parents at the hospital, and their families have sent Anderson everything from prayer shawls to cookies to books.

Though she is a natural optimist, Anderson understands the reality of her disease. According to the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation, the cancer -- which afflicts about 5,000 Americans -- tends to recur, and only 40 percent of patients survive 15 years.

That has not dimmed Anderson's vision for her future. She will continue studying toward a master's degree in public policy at the U's Humphrey Institute, sharing laughs with her teammates, and running as fast -- and as far -- as she can.

"I've had some of those moments [of worry], but they've been few and far between," she said. "I've come to terms with the reality of what might happen, but I've also been able to take a step back and appreciate what I have. I want to live each day really enthusiastically and gratefully, just as anyone would.

"As an athlete, I'm used to coming back from disappointment. It would be hard to leave on this note. I would love to come back to run next spring and finish my career the way I'd like to."