ST. CROIX WOMAN RUNS NYC MARATHON TO HONOR FATHER AND FUND CANCER RESEARCH

Alexandra Bhola, a St. Croix resident, departs for New York this week to join more than 60,000 competitors in the Tata Consultancy Services New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1. The 26.2-mile race will traverse all five boroughs, starting at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, passing through Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, and finishing in Central Park. The event marks its 50th anniversary.

Bhola is competing to support rare cancer research through Brave Like Gabe, an organisation that funds work at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and hospitals across the United States. The mission carries deep personal weight: her father, Krisendat "Kris" Bhola, received a diagnosis of neuroendocrine carcinoma in 2018 and passed away in 2023. Medical advances and research extended his life beyond initial expectations.

"Critical research, treatment trials, and the amazing team at Memorial Sloan Kettering kept him with us for much longer than predicted," Bhola said. She aims to help other families experience the same extension of time and hope.

Bhola ran track at Good Hope Country Day School but stepped back from competitive running during university. When she committed to the marathon, she had to rebuild her fitness from the beginning. "I was essentially starting from zero when I started training for the marathon at the start of the summer," she said.

Her preparation has balanced training with work at her family's business, Tropical Cleaners and Launderers, Inc., and at The Daily News. Bridget Klein, her former coach from sixth grade, designed her training schedule. Her older sister Kelsey has occasionally joined her on runs. The Caribbean climate has tested her resolve. "It's definitely been a challenge to train in this weather," Bhola said.

Kris Bhola was a fixture at his daughters' athletic events throughout their lives. "He has been on the other side of every finish line I've crossed," Bhola reflected. "As the marathon grows closer, I've been thinking a lot about him not being on the other side of this one. When I have to dig deep, I know his words will push me through."

Both sisters excelled academically and athletically. Kelsey graduated from Harvard University in 2024 and was valedictorian at Good Hope Country Day School in 2020. Alexandra, a 2026 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, was valedictorian and senior prom queen at Good Hope in 2022. Their father encouraged excellence from an early age, pushing them to compete primarily against themselves.

Brave Like Gabe was established to honour professional runner Gabriele "Gabe" Grunewald, who raced through multiple rare cancer diagnoses before her death in 2019. The foundation funds research into under-resourced cancers and supports survivors through physical activity and community.

Donations are accepted at https://fundraisers.hakuapp.com/alexandra-bhola. The race will broadcast on WABC-TV Channel 7, ESPN2 and ESPN3 from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, and stream on ABC7NY.com.