Tread Strong: Support BIDMC’s 2018 Boston Marathon Team

Although training for a marathon is a large undertaking, Kaché Boyd is finding strength from the inspiration of her friend to push on. “What’s a couple hills when your best friend is climbing mountains?” she says.

Kaché is referring to her lifelong friend, Keonna, who is currently a patient of the Cancer Center at BIDMC. “I was at my alma mater, Hampton University, around the time that Keonna, one my oldest and dearest friends, was beginning chemotherapy for breast cancer. We were launching a new team of women for the largest national public health nonprofit for black women and girls, GirlTrek,” Kaché says. “Part of the launch was a ‘joy jump,’ and each of us jumped for something uniquely special to us. I hadn’t yet been chosen for Team BIDMC but I knew I was going to run the Boston Marathon in honor of Keonna. My ‘joy jump’ was my way of gathering strength for the road ahead.”

A few weeks later, Kaché got the email that she was chosen for Team BIDMC. Funds raised on behalf of Kaché will directly benefit the groundbreaking research and compassionate patient care provided by the Cancer Center at BIDMC. “At the time, Keonna was in the early stages of treatment. The least I could do was run/walk a few extra miles in her honor,” she says.

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in eight people will develop invasive breast cancer over their lifetime. The occurrence of breast cancer in African Americans under the age of 45 is more common than in other ethnic groups.

“My friendship with Keonna and this Boston Marathon journey are all about self-care and sisterhood,” Kaché says. “Keonna and I are blessed to have each other.”

Training for her first-ever marathon has been a test of true grit. “I really couldn’t be doing this without the support of everyone around me,” she says. “It’s been a rough going, but the way forward is paved with love and support.”

Learn more about Kaché's Marathon journey and support Team BIDMC.