Gabriele Grunewald, the former Gophers track star and 2014 U.S. Indoor 3,000-meter champion from Perham, Minn., revealed last week that she will begin a third bout with cancer.
Grunewald posted on Instagram an image of her liver drawn by her surgical oncologist, which she enhanced through Snapchat, showing where the cancer had returned.
Grunewald was first diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma in 2009 and again in 2011.
"Getting rid of it and becoming a 3x cancer survivor is the new reality I am now embracing," she wrote on the post. "Outside of the biopsy revealing that the growth is indeed cancer, I have been extremely blessed in other ways. Feeling loved and supported by friends and family is #1."
Less than two months ago, Grunewald was competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials and placed 12th in the 1500-meter final. Now she plans to beat the disease again and continue her quest for a world championship in 2017.
She tells her story about the last two months in detail in several Instagram posts that are worth a read:
