How I beat cancer and started helping healthcare companies

The Story

A few years ago, I entered the world of business by opening an IT agency. But before I did, I had to pass through a dramatic life experience for which I am now grateful.

These past 20 years, running has been a big part of my life. I would run daily, in any situation, in any weather, and wherever I was in the world. Soon after I gave birth to my son, I started training for a half-marathon. It was a dream that I was determined to fulfill. My baby was just three months old when his mommy switched into active training mode. It was not easy, but my heart was filling with joy from knowing that I was doing what I had always loved.

The day of the event came and I joined a big crowd of running enthusiasts. The crowd was not just big – it was enormous: there must have been at least ten thousand of us there! The start signal came and my wave started. I was on top of the world!

After just three kilometers, however, I realized that something was seriously off. My body wasn't its usual self. I was panting and my pulse shot up so high that I had to stop. I was alarmed, surprised, confused. It was the first time anything like that was happening to me. Even then, I did not quit. Mustering all my willpower, I finished the course.

The next day, four years ago now, is still fresh in my memory. Still exhausted, I went to the doctor to understand what was wrong with me.

Tests were done and then an unambiguously shocking diagnosis came: an acute form of leukemia. What? I thought the world was collapsing all around me. Here I was, a young woman in her prime, with a five-month-old baby. And now... cancer? It just did not make any sense.

I went to Berlin, Germany, and was lucky to find the absolute best doctor there. Yes, of all cities, Berlin! At the time, I couldn't have imagined that just three years later, I would have a company there and a great, 30-strong team: my dream team!

This difficult moment marked the beginning of not just my recovery but a whole different life path, one where I am now running… a business into which I pour a big part of myself and my energies.

Four years on, I am in remission. And I run just as I did before, only more. I now count over 20 half-marathons and two full (42.2-km) marathons among my achievements.

Conclusion

Thanks to running, I travel to every corner of the world – to take part in competitions, but not only: these days, wherever I find myself, more often than not, I’ll have contacts and business projects there, too. This business-running nexus made me realize how far-reaching the healthcare industry is and how many lives it touches.. and saves!

When we get a chance to do work for a client in health care, I always give all of myself to the project, working and living it as if my own health were on the line. I treat my work exactly the way I would like others to treat me, personally. But I also cultivate patience and long-term thinking both in myself and in my team: as I like to say, if you want to moor a boat, build a pier first.