“I’m running for the women and men in the treatment chair who need a reminder of their resilience.”
According to Newsweek, Spiezia chose the marathon partly because the route passed the hospital where she received treatment.
“If I was going to put my body on display for a cause, I wanted to do it in front of as many people as possible, in the place where my own medical story unfolded,” she told the publication.
Spiezia said the idea came about after she caught herself trying to hide her chest in a changing room after her mastectomy.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t let shame dictate how I showed up in the world,” she told Newsweek. “Those scars are evidence of what was needed to save my life.”
The marathon formed part of a fundraising campaign for breast cancer research through Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre’s Fred’s Team programme. Spiezia’s team raised about US$50,000 ($89,000).
She also used the event to promote breast cancer risk assessments, saying she wanted other women to avoid the uncertainty she experienced after initially being told she was too young for a mammogram.
Spiezia said she was running for the women who were at risk of developing breast cancer and for those who may not yet know they are at risk, she wrote on social media.
Supporters praised the awareness campaign and body-positive message.
“Good for her! But Damn! My boobs would be bouncing around in pain,” wrote one commenter.
“She deserves an additional medal for running without a bra, that is not easy!” wrote another.
Despite some criticism, with one calling it “inappropriate”, Spiezia focused on the message behind the run.
In New York State, it is legal for women to be topless in public anywhere men can be topless.
“My scars are not something to hide,” she wrote. “They’re the evidence that I fought and lived.”
She thanked her husband, who ran alongside her in the marathon after supporting her through appointments, treatments and surgeries, and urged others to advocate for their own health.
“Know your risk. Ask questions. Advocate for yourself.”
