Vinton resident Connie Gremillion and her husband Gary started running at his suggestion when they were in their 40s. Almost 20 years later, she continues to go the distance, not with him but because of him and to raise awareness about the silent killer, pancreatic cancer.

“That first time we made it as far as the end of the driveway and back. It took us more time to put on our running shoes than it did to make the run,” she said with a chuckle.

“If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do this,” he would remind her.

“He was the one with the self discipline,” she said.

So, they added a few more steps each day, and she remembers him saying, partly in jest, that one day they would run the New York City Marathon together.

He never made it across that finish line. In October 2021, five months after he received his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, he died. They were married 40 years. Pancreatic cancer victims often show no symptoms until it’s too late. Gremillion runs to raise awareness and to raise money that will fund research for an early detection test.

“He was never sick,” Gremillion said. “We exercised. We were healthy eaters. He wasn’t overweight. He didn’t smoke or drink. There was no warning.”

Cancer didn’t run in his family. Thanks to Gary, running does.

“After he completed the Austin marathon, our girls decided they wanted to get in on it, and then their husbands got in on it. And now our grandchildren are in on it, three generations,” Gremillion said.

The family enjoyed running so much they began to plan family vacations around races. When New York City officials opened 500 spots for runners to compete in a virtual marathon, to be tracked on a downloaded app, for a place to run in the real thing, the Gremillion family was ready, phones in hand. Gary was at work and called as soon as he could, and  was one of the thousands that didn’t get through. Gremillion, her two daughters and her son-in-law did.

When the 2020 NYC Marathon was canceled due to the pandemic, participants could choose to race in 2021, 2022 or 2023. Daughter Megan and Gremillion signed up to run in 2021. Her daughter and son-in-law had running injuries and signed up for 2023.

“The marathon was scheduled for November 5, and Gary had passed away exactly one month earlier,” Gremillion said.

She, understandably, was not up for it. In the last months of his life, Gary sat outside while she trained. He insisted. Her daughter reminded her that he would want her to go through with it. Physically prepared but emotionally exhausted by grief, she finished in seven hours. She had thought it would take about four or four-and-a-half.

“Running for 26 miles at a time when I felt so worn down, crossing that finish line… You don’t know what you’re capable of until you do it. I really can’t communicate that feeling. I want others to know, they can do the impossible. Everyone, at least once in their lives, should do something extraordinary.”

Gremillion wants to run for Gary again at the Nov. 6, 2022 New York City Marathon. She is partnering with Project Purple to get a spot. Its primary fundraising comes from participating in race events with all proceeds going directly to support the efforts to find early detection and a cure to create a world without pancreatic cancer.

Gremillion is not stopping there. Beginning in January, Gremillion and her daughter will compete in a half-marathon every month for 50 consecutive months until they have told their story and raised awareness about the silent killer in all 50 states, an over four-year commitment. (Her daughter is a flight attendant, which means they can fly for free.)

“I don’t want others to go through what I’ve gone through,” she said. “We have to find a way to detect it.”

To participate in the  November 6 NYC Marathon for Project Purple, Gremillion has to raise $3,500, and she’s halfway there. To help, go to  https://donate.projectpurple.org/fundraiser/3874278

To follow mother and daughter from state to state, learn how they train, hear about and see scenery from the states they visit and “run” with them, check out Gremillion’s Instagram running account. It’s connie.gremillion. Her daughter’s is gremillion1084.