The Resilient Runner with Helene Neville

Helene Neville was told by a doctor she needed to go home and get her affairs in order. She didn’t have long to live. That was 25 years ago. The mother of two young sons ran from that diagnosis and has been running ever since. Helene has survived three brain surgeries and recurring lymphoma. She has endured chemo, radiation, and, most recently, nearly two years in bed. Yet, she keeps running. When she was first told she was dying, she signed up for and completed the Chicago Marathon. Since then, she has become the first person to run across every single state in America amassing nearly 14,000 total miles…and she did it alone! This summer, she plans to run across much of Canada from Thunder Bay to Victoria, British Columbia. Helene’s remarkable story epitomizes what it means to be resilient.

In this interview, Helene talks about how she has overcome decades of life-threatening illnesses, why she pushes herself to accomplish her amazing athletic feats, and she shares stories about the people who have helped her on her journeys. Helene also reminds us that what connects humanity is much stronger than the issues that threaten to divide us. Helene demonstrates what is physically and mentally possible to those needing hope and inspiration.

Helene Neville is a survivor of three brain abscesses, three brain surgeries, and recurring lymphoma. She completed a quest to run across every state in America to inspire the nation to “Rethink Impossible.” Along the way, she found that there is more right with humanity than she ever imagined. She has run across all 50 U. S. States in eight segments - California to Florida, Vancouver, Canada to Tijuana, Mexico, Florida to Maine, eastern Maine/Canadian Border to Ocean Shores, Washington, Wyoming to West Virginia to Las Vegas, Nevada, the perimeter of Oahu, Hawaii, Anchorage to The Dalton Highway, The Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. When she is not running, Helene is a nurse and professional speaker who has spoken in 50 states, over 300 hospitals, cancer centers, prestigious institutions, schools, corporations, and TedX.

“My run is to inspire others to dream something that they maybe wanted to do and just to display what could be done…the human potential…we don’t know the end of that. But my ‘why’ was really to just connect people through love and acceptance. No barriers. No color. Just us, our hearts. Connect our hearts. That’s all I wanted to do.” Helene Neville explaining why she has run across every state in America and accepted the help and kindness of strangers along the way.