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Sarasota County teacher who beat ovarian cancer to race in Boston Marathon

By
Published  December 30, 2025 4:20pm EST
Sarasota
FOX 13 News
Ovarian Cancer survivor eyes the Boston Marathon

Ovarian Cancer survivor eyes the Boston Marathon

An ovarian cancer survivor who is also a teacher and cross-country coach at Sarasota School of the Arts and Sciences is turning her journey into purpose by running in the Boston Marathon in hopes of raising awareness and money for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. FOX 13’s Kimberly Kuizon reports.  

The Brief

    • Hollie Nelsen, who has taught at Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences for the past 13 years, was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in February 2025.
    • Nelsen is an avid runner, and she was picked to run on Team Teal with the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition and has a goal of raising $21,000.
    • She's hosting a Health Fair on January 17 at Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences to help with fundraising.

SARASOTA, Fla. - For the last 13 years, Hollie Nelsen has been teaching students at Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences. She's also a natural athlete and has been coaching the girls' cross-country team. 

But nearly a year ago, she entered the race of her life after she was diagnosed with and beat ovarian cancer. Now, she's turning her journey into purpose. She's on her way to the Boston Marathon, in hopes of raising awareness and funds for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. 

READ: Tatiana Schlossberg, JFK's granddaughter, dies at 35 after battle with cancer

But, she needs the community's support to get to the start line. 

The backstory:

Running is part of who Hollie Nelsen is. 

"I just love to see what my body is capable of doing and my mind. It takes a lot of strength to run," she said. 

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Nelsen has completed 5K's, 10K's, half-marathons, full marathons and even 100-mile runs. 

"It all takes dedication and hard work, and I love to push my body and my mind and to inspire other people," she said. 

Last February, though, Nelsen came across her biggest hurdle, after recovering from a stress fracture in her hip from running. She said she started having stomach issues, pain and bloating. 

During surgery for an ovarian cyst and hysterectomy, her doctor determined she had stage 3 ovarian cancer. 

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"I somehow think I blocked that out. I don’t even remember my reaction waking up and finding out," said Nelsen.

While recovering at home, all she could think of was what was next. 

"I was kind of lost that I could barely walk down my street. I needed to recover and get back to running and training. I was lucky to watch the Boston Marathon on TV," she said. 

That's when something in the crowd caught her attention. 

"At one point, I was sitting there, and the camera panned over to the crowd and the spectators, and I saw this teal tent that said ‘Team Teal National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.’ I got so excited that I had to get on my phone and research what that was," she said. 

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Big picture view:

Nelsen discovered the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition's team works to save lives through fundraising for the prevention and cure of ovarian cancer. 

"This is my sign. This is something I’m meant to do," said Hollie. 

And after six rounds of chemotherapy, Nelsen rang the bell in June for her biggest victory yet. But, her next race to finish is coming up.

Nelsen will run the 2026 Boston Marathon with the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition's Team Teal. 

"To be able to be part of that and run one of the most prestigious marathons in the country, in the world, something I thought that I would never be able to do before cancer and then all of a sudden I have cancer. I’m fighting cancer, and I was like if I can fight cancer and beat cancer, I can do the Boston Marathon," she said. 

What you can do:

Nelsen is halfway to her goal of raising just more than $21,000. The community and her students from Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences are behind her, and she's ready to cross the finish line. 

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"After finding out that there literally is no test for ovarian cancer, that most times it’s too late for women because there’s no test. I just think it’s an amazing feeling to be out here raising money for an organization that’s not only doing the research but helping those of us who have cancer, who are going through cancer, who’ve been through cancer. It’s not just us, it’s the caregivers and the families. They have so many resources in their organization that have helped me," she said. 

Her next fundraiser will be held on Saturday, January 17 at Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences in Sarasota. They will host a health fair with fitness classes and much more. For more information, click here. 

The Source: Information was gathered by FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon through Hollie Nelsen. 

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