Going the distance to fight cancer

Like a lot of Tulane University seniors, Liz Cowle plans to do some traveling following her graduation in May. But she"ll be doing her traveling all on foot.

Cowle, a senior at the A. B. Freeman School of Business, is embarking on a cross-country run this summer to raise funds and awareness for the fight against cancer.

“I view my running as a gift, and this is a way I can use that gift to benefit others.”—Liz Cowle, Tulane University senior

As part of the Ulman Cancer Fund"s 4K for Cancer, Cowle and her teammates will spend seven weeks running from San Francisco to Baltimore, beginning June 13. Along the way, they"ll visit with cancer patients to award scholarships and hand out care bags with goodies and uplifting messages for chemotherapy visits.

“I"ve participated in 5Ks that benefit different cancer charities, but I always wanted to do something bigger,” Cowle said. “When I saw this and learned that we would actually go across the country and meet with patients, I thought it would be the best way I could spend my summer before I begin my job in September with Deloitte & Touche in the New Orleans office as an auditor.”

Cancer awareness is a very personal cause for Cowle. Her mother died of breast cancer when she was 4 years old, leaving her father to care for her and her two young sisters.

“All the pictures I have of my mom, she"s very withered away,” said Cowle, a Dallas native. “It got to the point that she wasn"t even able to pick me up anymore.”

While losing her mother to cancer was painful, Cowle said it helped to make her the person she is today.

“It"s taught me a lot about being independent, giving back when I can and really appreciating my health and physical fitness,” she said. “I view my running as a gift, and this is a way I can use that gift to benefit others.”

Mark Miester is a senior editor in the A. B. Freeman School of Business.