Oncology nurse inspires her patients by running marathons in their honor
Some people run away from problems. Jennifer Goodman, B.S.N., RN, OCN, has put in hundreds of miles pounding the pavement to help others confront theirs.
The Oncology Nurse at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center inspires patients undergoing chemotherapy and other cancer treatments by training for and competing in marathons – 35 of them around the globe and a whopping seven just in the last year.
“I’m running for these patients because they can’t,” Ms. Goodman explained. “When patients come to us for cancer treatment, they often have a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. Running is an activity that many people have in common, so it’s something we can talk about to take their minds off their worries.”
In March, she ran the Tokyo Marathon to honor her patients, marking her ninth 26.2-mile race since May 2021, when she made another big gesture to help others: donating a kidney. (More about that later.)
“The amazing thing about Jennifer is that she makes an impact in all the areas that she participates in,” said Jenny Agnew, B.S.N., RN, OCN, Manager of Infusion Services. “I love that she motivates her patients with the marathon analogy. And the fact is that it keeps her motivated too. It’s the ‘why’ behind her story.”
Several days a week, Ms. Goodman wakes before dawn to log miles with her running club at White Rock Lake – all before reporting to work at UTSW’s Cancer Care Outpatient Building. Throughout the day, she gives her patients updates on her training regimen and reiterates her promise: Since they are summoning the strength to fight cancer, she will continue to do whatever it takes to be ready to run marathons in their honor.
“Mindset is a big part of accomplishing something,” Ms. Goodman said. “Having something to focus on while you’re doing it makes the time go by faster. I often think about patients while I’m running, and before I know it, I’ve reached the finish line.”
Chris Hollas is battling colon cancer and receives infusions twice a month at UT Southwestern. Like many of Ms. Goodman’s patients, he’s bonded with her and has been inspired to fight through the nausea and lethargy of chemotherapy treatments to ride his bike on long journeys in search of peace and strength.
“I know I have a fight on my hands, so I want to be in the best shape possible so my body is as prepared as it can be,” Mr. Hollas said. “All the training she does is motivation to me as well to keep going. Besides the cancer I’m fighting, I’m actually in the best shape I’ve ever been in.”
Running isn’t Ms. Goodman’s only marathon, however. She began working at UT Southwestern 25 years ago as the institution’s second full-time infusion nurse.
Back then, patients were all treated in one small room equipped with only two infusion chairs. Treatments could take hours. Today, people have the option to relax in one of several private infusion suites in the nine-story, 300,000-square-foot Cancer Care Outpatient Building, the newest location for patients of the Simmons Cancer Center. Both Ms. Goodman and Mr. Hollas are grateful for the many advances in treatment and technology patients have access to at UT Southwestern.
“Not that anyone ever wants to go through chemotherapy or cancer surgery, but if I have to do it, I’m glad I can do it here,” said Mr. Hollas, who lives nearby. “A lot of people fighting cancer don’t have the same opportunities I do.”
While running has helped the veteran nurse create connections with people she treats, she stepped away from her therapeutic pastime several years ago with good reason. In May 2022, Ms. Goodman donated a kidney to a friend of her family. While the recovery period from the operation disrupted her training routine more than she expected, Ms. Goodman said it was worth it to help a friend in need.
And only three weeks after surgery, she began training for the London Marathon.
Now she has her sights set on the next running milestone: the Boston Marathon in April 2025. The famed race will be the final jewel in her crown of all the world’s major marathons: Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, and Tokyo. As she gets older, Ms. Goodman acknowledges her competitive goals and priorities have changed.
Watch: Oncology nurse motivates her patients (and herself) by running marathons.
“Runners are always shooting for breaking their personal bests. Mine is 4 hours and 33 minutes, and while I’d love to break 4:30, I realize it’s probably not happening as I get older. I’m only getting slower,” she said. “But that’s all right, because the time is not the most important thing. I’m just happy to still be out there running. That’s my real goal: just keep running.”