LOS ANGELES, California: US distance runner Gabriele Grunewald, who became an inspirational figure to thousands of fans after continuing to compete at a high level despite a decade-long battle with cancer, has died. She was 32.
Grunewald’s husband Justin confirmed the news of his wife’s death in a post on Instagram on Tuesday, two days after revealing her condition had deteriorated and she had entered end-of-life care.
“At 7:52 I said ‘I can’t wait until I get to see you again’ to my hero, my best friend, my inspiration, my wife,” Justin Grunewald wrote in the post, beneath a photo of the couple running. “...I know I will never be able to fill this gaping hole in my heart or fill the shoes you have left behind,” he added.