And we have a new deadpool leader… Gabriele Grunewald was an American middle-distance runner, specialising in the 800 metres. She turned pro in 2010, one year after she was first diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma. Over the following decade, while still competing in track athletics, she had her thyroid and salivary glands removed, a six-inch malignant tumour removed from her liver and a hepatectomy. Unsurprisingly, this stopped her from ever making the Olympics, although she did represent the US at the 2014 World Indoor Championships. Perhaps nobody loves an #inspirational story as much as athletes, so it’s no surprise Grunewald’s passing got headlines in a way that her athletics career never quite managed. And breaking free of the pack into the lead is none other than GUN Away, whose non-conformist picks continue to defy the bookies’ odds in a year when many of the big-name choices seem keen to stay on planet Earth.
Gabriele Grunewald
June 25, 1986 – June 11, 2019
Died aged 32 (unique pick)