Run for a cause

Health-related illnesses as a result of being a first responder on Sept. 11 aren’t getting in the way of Central Islip resident Erica Gaston. Gaston is a retired New York Police Department detective who is facing health challenges due to her dedication to Ground Zero 24 years ago. She is set to run in the Boston Marathon—a 26.2-mile race, in Massachusetts, on April 21—and it’s all for a personal cause.

After losing her mother to ovarian cancer, Gaston began to run, not only to improve her health, but to help cope with the loss of her mother. She joined the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s charity endurance team—Team Teal, a group of eight runners—to participate in the Boston Marathon. Teal is the color used to represent ovarian cancer and to help raise awareness for the disease.

With just a little over two weeks away from participating in the Boston Marathon, Gaston spent this past weekend in Boston preparing for the big race with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute team. She completed a 20-mile training run. The next time she’ll be back in Boston will be in a few weeks for the marathon, with an additional 6.2 miles.

The first marathon she finished was the New York City Marathon. Tokyo was her second, after being talked into it by two friends. After completing Tokyo, Gaston figured she’d do Berlin, and the rest was history.

She honors her mother in each marathon by wearing a T-shirt with an image of her. Gaston has also been advocating for women with cancer for about 10 years. She joined Team Teal about three years ago.

“I always wear a shirt with my mom’s picture on it, so I would say she’s, my inspiration.” Gaston said. “Whatever I do, I’ll always have a shirt with her picture on it; she’s always with me.”

There is no early detection exam for individuals, and about 20,000 are diagnosed each year. It is one of the leading causes of death among women, as it often isn’t diagnosed until the later stages. Gaston calls ovarian cancer a “silent killer.”

This is the second year in a row that the coalition’s Team Teal has partnered with the Boston Marathon. The team has partnered with the New York City Marathon for nine years. The organization builds relationships with other well-known races throughout the country to help raise awareness and become official charity partners.

The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition is a nonprofit that is currently in its 31st year bringing awareness toward ovarian cancer. The organization has four main objectives: to focus on detection, education and awareness, quality of life resources for those diagnosed along with their caregivers, and community outreach to inform others.

Gaston has currently raised over $15,000 along with the Boston Marathon team. It shows her efforts not only physically by competing in the race, but also in helping others and advocating for NOCC.

After Gaston reaches the finish line, she will be one of 20,000 individuals in the world who have earned the “Sixth World Major Star” title. This means that Gaston has run in the top six marathons in the world, including the Tokyo Marathon, London Marathon, Berlin Marathon, Chicago Marathon, New York Marathon, and after April 21, the Boston Marathon. Anyone who completes such a feat is rewarded with a “Six Star” medal, a distinguished title among those in the running community.

“Her [Gaston’s] motivation goes beyond raising awareness for ovarian cancer to support others,” Shannon Gibbs, manager for community events at NOCC said. “It also serves as a personal reminder of her resilience in overcoming life’s challenges.”