Congressional Patriot Award for Bethann Telford

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Mr. FALLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. BethAnn Telford of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, and present her with the Congressional Patriot Award. BethAnn is a true American fighter and fierce advocate for brain cancer survivors.

Since she was young, BethAnn has been involved in numerous sports and other athletic activities. She is most passionate about long-distance running and was inspired to participate in the 2004 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with brain cancer and underwent several surgeries that forced her to relearn how to walk and talk. Thankfully, BethAnn made a full recovery and refused to allow cancer to stop her from training and competing. Since then, she has completed numerous Ironman competitions and Boston Marathons, dedicating each mile she runs to a child she knows who has been affected by brain cancer.

Furthermore, BethAnn has dedicated herself to supporting brain cancer awareness initiatives. She founded Team BT, a nonprofit organization that has raised over a million dollars for brain cancer research. Through her efforts, our scientific community has moved one step closer to finding a cure for brain cancer. In 2017, BethAnn successfully completed the World Marathon Challenge, which requires competitors to finish 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days, becoming one of few people in the world to undergo this amazing feat. For her sportsmanship and participation in this Challenge, she was granted the Peakside Capital Sportsmanship Award. I am proud of the work BethAnn has done to uplift and inspire our community to overcome the most difficult challenges.

It is an honor to bestow BethAnn with the Patriot Award for her exceptional service to our Nation. She is a truly extraordinary woman, and I'm confident this will not be the end of her accomplishments.

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