For Ali Pepe, There's No Giving Up On Marathon Monday

It was cold, sleeting, and it was icy. As North Reading's Ali Pepe recalled, "it was awful."

The idea of running for a cause might seem like a good idea in the summer. But during a brutal New England winter, even the most dedicated runner questions his/her own sanity at some point. For Pepe, it was this December morning.

"There would be so many times I would say, alright, I'm going to call an Uber," said the 27-year-old Pepe. "I'm not running anymore. I can't do this. My body doesn't want me to do it. I can't."

But inspiration can come on even the most miserable of winter days. Pepe's 61-year-old Aunt Gina died last November after fighting stage 4 liver cancer. Pepe joined the Joe Andruzzi Foundation team in October and will run the 122nd Boston Marathon for her aunt.

"I had this feeling come over me, and it was kinda weird. After that moment, it was like an idea sparked in my head," said Pepe. "People who have cancer don't have the opportunity to give up. My aunt fought every second. She battled stage 4 liver cancer for a year. That's something that's unheard of. She didn't have the option to give up so I shouldn't take the option to give up. That was her reminding me and pushing me through."

Cancel the Uber.

Breast cancer strikes three

If only Pepe's story was one of running for a family member who died of cancer. That would be easy in comparison to what Ali and her family have gone through. In 2012, Ali's mother Catherine, her grandmother Rosemarie, and her aunt Joanne were all diagnosed with breast cancer. Within a six-month span, three women on her mom's side of the family had breast cancer.

"My grandmother was diagnosed very early summer, late spring," said Ali. "In about a month, month-and-a-half later, my mom came home and said, 'they found a lump. I'm going in and getting it checked out.' That was probably one of the scariest days of my life. After that she went in for maybe three or more surgeries before she said, 'that's it. I'm going to do a double mastectomy because it's not worth it.' "

Anyone who has dealt with cancer knows the disease can be an unending string of are-you-kidding-me news. On the day of her mom's double mastectomy, Catherine's older sister Joanne was diagnosed with breast cancer as well. While the three women took on cancer, Ali was preparing for her senior year at Western New England University.

"It was a very hard time for me. It was coming home every time my mom had a surgery. Staying home for a few days, or even a week. And when it came to my mom's big surgery, I was home for a few weeks at a time so I missed a lot of school and a lot of time away from my friends. But I needed to be home for her. I needed to be there because there were things she couldn't do and she needed my help with. She needed my support."

All three women are doing well today but it was a difficult fight. Rosemarie had surgery and radiation and Ali says, "she's doing great." Joanne, now 64, had a mastectomy plus chemo, much like her sister. Catherine, 60, and her husband of 27 years Enrico, still live in North Reading.

This week, however, the focus is on the good news. And of course, carbo loading. The traditional pasta dinner will include desert this year. Rosemarie celebrated her 90th birthday on Wednesday and nothing says marathon training like a big slice of cake.

Sisters team up for JAF

When it comes to running, Pepe has always excelled at the shorter distances, a master of the .2 but not so much the 26 of a marathon. At North Reading High she played soccer, ran indoor track, and was captain of the lacrosse team.

After graduating in 2009, she attended Western New England where she played lacrosse and was named to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll and also received Academic All-Commonwealth Coast Conference honors. She graduated with a degree in psychology and stayed in Springfield to earn a Masters in education. Today she's a teacher at Notre Dame Cristo Rey in Lawrence as well as the junior varsity girls' lacrosse coach at North Reading High School.

She teaches by the day, coaches the Hornets after school, and somewhere in the 24 hours, trains for the challenge ahead on Monday.

"It's definitely different. I've always enjoyed running. It's very therapeutic. I think you can clear your mind," said Pepe. "Basically the marathon will be the longest run I've ever done in my life. But the difference is you don't get the break. Lacrosse, you can kind of run, and you get a break, you can jog around in place for a while, but the marathon if you stop you can cramp up and get sore. So you just keep going until you reach the end."

Ali was introduced to the Joe Andruzzi Foundation and its mission by her sister Amy, 34, who will run the marathon with Team JAF for the fourth time, her seventh marathon overall.

"It's always kind of been on my bucket list and there's always been something the past few years that's kinda held me back," said Pepe. "Last year when my sister Amy crossed the finish line she kinda said, 'you're up next.' She hung her medal around my neck and she said this is going to be you next year. Over the summer I was thinking about it more and more. Unfortunately Aunt Gina was getting sicker so I decided that I wanted to do something more. I applied to Joe Andruzzi to run the marathon and honor my aunt's fight against her cancer."

About that are-you-kidding-me disease. Cancer gave Pepe one more reason to run last December when a neighbor she said was like a grandfather to her, Papa Aloisi, also died of cancer.

Early lesson in cancer 101

You could make the argument that Ali and her family have been training to fight cancer for years. Long before any diagnosis, Ali, Amy, and Catherine volunteered for the Susan G. Komen walk for breast cancer. With numerous walks in Boston for everything from hunger to heart disease, somehow the Pepe family found Susan G. Komen.

"It was something that my mom got me into," said Pepe, who did her first walk in 2006 when she 15 years old. "She had always walked the three-day walk. It was something my mom had always pushed herself to do. I saw her do it and I said I want to go do this."

Pepe started out working behind the scenes, giving out water bottles and helping walkers. "That was my first taste of being part of a larger charity organization."

Little did the family know, they were getting a lesson in cancer they'd eventually put to use.

"We're always lucky because we had the knowledge that these are the precautions you should look for. Here's what you can do if you feel you're at risk. So at least we had that background knowledge. But my mom has looked at me and said 'I just hope and wish that this never happens to you one day."

Her sister Amy led her to the Joe Andruzzi Foundation and the marathon team. With Amy running for JAF, Ali became a volunteer.

"I've been severely impacted by breast cancer, I've also been touched by other cancers. Amy found Joe Andruzzi four years ago and I started volunteering. It's one of those things that Joe's mission really spoke to me. I watched my mom fight her cancer. I remember those times that there were days where there would be no happiness or no laughter in the house. It was, what can we do to make mom comfortable? How can we make it so she has a good day? Because there were so many days that went by where there was never a good day."

For the past two years Pepe had helped out at water stops during the marathon and raised money by selling 50-50 raffle tickets at a Boston Bruins game.

"But this year was my big step up for them," said Pepe. "I can do more. Let's try to raise $10,000 for them. And run 26.2 miles. I can't forget that."

"Joe Andruzzi's mission is not only just the finances. He really wants to make people smile. He really wants to figure out what he can do to help families. That's the part that spoke to me. I know from first hand experience those little things are things that count and if I can be a part of that, I definitely want to."

Cancer always in her thoughts

The challenge of running 26.2 miles will end, probably about 4-5 hours after she starts Monday. Then Pepe will be left with thoughts she can never outrun.

"Every single day," said Pepe when asked how often she thinks about how a disease that's genetically linked to her family. "On my mom's side of the family there are seven women and in total, four out of the seven have been diagnosed with breast cancer. For me and my sisters, we are always aware and always very cognizant that this could one day happen to us. It's something I watched my mom fight and she fought a really good fight and obviously she won. But it's something I never want to have to do."

On another of those challenging New England days, Pepe got home to find a random stranger had donated $500. She had never met the donor, who didn't want thanks, just a chance to contribute to her cause. Aunt Gina was talking to her again.

"It was for me a sign. I'm here with you. You're going to finish. You can do this."

Photos courtesy Ali Pepe. First, Ali (right, in white) on a training run with sister Amy; second, Marathon family finish was taken after Amy finished 2016 Boston Marathon with my entire family and Joe Andruzzi; third, Amy and Ali raising money last spring for JAF at a Bruins game. They were selling 50/50 raffle tickets. Ali is on the right holding the sign.