Winchester Woman to Run Boston Marathon in Memory of Her Brother

[Editor's note: The following information derived from a submission by Katherine Waters-Clark.]

They say train hard, stay healthy, carbo-load, hydrate and visualize. They say be prepared, but be ready just in case something goes wrong. They say the first time you run the Boston Marathon will be the most painful experience of your life.

No problem for runner #24420, Winchester's own Kristen Pywell Bray. Despite excruciating leg injuries, a full-time pre-school job and a busy life with her husband Jeff and two kids Julianna and Kyle, Kristen quietly kept training, fighting, and never quitting. So just what--or who--inspired this 43-year old athlete? None other than her 36-year old baby brother, Andrew David Pywell.

In 2008, then 31-year old Andrew was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor just two years after taking over Pywell Construction from his dad David Pywell, who had died suddenly that summer, and just two months before his wife Marit gave birth to their oldest son, David.

After surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Andrew was given a clean bill of health. However, in 2011, shortly after little David turned three and just before new baby Audrey turned one, new tumors were discovered. Andrew underwent painful stem cell replacement therapy at MGH, celebrating his 35th birthday in the hospital.

Just five months later in December, the doctors found new tumors and gave Andrew 3-6 months to live. He had more radiation in early 2012 and was once again tumor-free in October, but by Christmas 2012, more tumors were discovered. Andrew had never given up hope and twice had beaten the odds, but this time treatment options had run out.

Kristen was by her brother's side through much of his treatment. As she watched him fight, never giving up, she became inspired.

"I decided to run Boston and raise money for MGH Cancer Services in January 2012," she said. "I was with Andrew when he was getting prepped for his proton therapy. His head had to be fitted with a metal contraption that looked like a medieval torture device. I remember trying so hard not to cry. He must have sensed this because he started to say something through his teeth. I finally figured it out: '16 Candles.' He was saying that he looked like Joan Cusack's character in '16 Candles' when she wore that neck brace!" Smiling, Bray says, 'I thought to myself - he is going through this and he's trying to make me laugh? Bottom line: If he can do all of this with hope and humor - I can run 26.2 miles."

So she trained, planned, and prepared. She watched her brother suffer through grueling treatments, never letting on how much pain he was in. He just kept
smiling and fighting. And so did she.

One of its top fundraisers, she raised $13,472 for MGH Cancer Services. The money will go directly to Andrew's doctor's research on this type of tumor, which is very rare in adults.

All was going as planned, but less than a week before the race of her life, something went terribly wrong. At 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, Andrew could no longer fight. Kristen's baby brother had passed away at the age of 36, leaving Kristen to face one of the most challenging times of her life.

Could Kristen make it up her own Heartbreak Hill? Would she still run?
If anyone had a doubt, runner #24420 answers by quoting Andrew's favorite song, "Move Along" by the All American Rejects.

"When all you have to keep is strong, move along move along like I know you'll do. And even when your hope is gone, move along move along just to make it through," she recited.

Yes, she'll run. Just like Andrew, she'll fight through the pain, the fatigue, and the emotion. She'll do it for Andrew. And she'll cross that finish line.