In August 2021, my life changed overnight when I was diagnosed with a large acoustic neuroma — a brain tumor that had been growing silently for over 15 years. I was just 23 years old.

My first brain surgery lasted more than 10 hours. I came out of it with facial paralysis and permanent hearing loss in my right ear. I spent weeks in the hospital and months in intensive rehab. After each brain surgery, I’ve had to relearn the most basic parts of life — the things people rarely think twice about: how to chew, how to smile, how to laugh, how to shut my eye, how to live being half-deaf… and even how to walk again. Every step forward has been hard-earned.

But through it all, I kept running.

In April 2022, just months after surgery, I ran the Boston Marathon — one of the hardest courses in the world — to raise awareness for brain tumor research.

In May 2023, the tumor had returned and was growing aggressively. I underwent intensive radiation treatments. And just before those began, I ran the London Marathon, determined to keep showing up — for myself and for others in this fight.

In February 2024, I had emergency brain surgery. It was even more aggressive than the first. I knew the risks — and this time, the damage was permanent. I lost mobility in half my face.

In August 2024, I underwent a major nerve graft — surgery on both my face and leg. Doctors removed the sensation nerve from my left foot and leg in hopes of rebuilding my smile. That meant learning to walk again — this time, with new limitations.

That fall, in November 2024, I ran the New York City Marathon — my comeback race. Proof that even when life changes your face, your path, or your pace… you keep moving.

Now I’m training for my sixth marathon — the Berlin Marathon on September 21, 2025 — and raising money for The Brain Tumor Charity.

I may never get my full smile back — but I’m learning to smile fully with my heart. And with each procedure, each mile, and each moment, I’m slowly, steadily working to bring back what was lost.

This journey has been brutal. I’ve lost parts of myself — physically, emotionally, spiritually — but I’ve also found something deeper: strength, purpose, and a powerful sense of community.

Running became my lifeline — a way to reclaim control when everything else felt broken. After that first surgery, I made a promise to myself: I would complete all six World Marathon Majors. Berlin will be my sixth marathon, and my fifth Major. Tokyo will be the final star in 2026.

But I’m not just running for myself. I’m running for the entire brain tumor community — for patients facing impossible decisions, for survivors rebuilding their lives, for researchers fighting for a cure, and for families who’ve lost someone they love. I’m fighting for all of us.

Your support — any amount, big or small — helps fund life-saving research, expand support services, and move us closer to a world where a brain tumor diagnosis no longer means fear, isolation, or loss.

This isn’t just my race. It’s all of ours.

Thank you for being part of Team Nicky — and for fighting alongside me.

Together, we can turn adversity into opportunity, and pave the way for a brighter tomorrow.

With my whole heart,

Nicky 💙