Biography

“While there’s life, there’s hope.“- Cicero

Helene Neville, an American nurse, began running seriously after a battle with cancer in the 1990′s that involved three brain surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. Despite residual health setbacks in the early 2000′s she started running marathons in places like London and Boston.

Helene’s most notable marathon challenge was the Fox Cities Marathon held in Fox Cities, Wisconsin. Helene’s close friend, Don Owens, who lost his sight twenty years earlier, asked Helene if she would help him train to run a marathon. After sixteen weeks of training, Helene and Don completed the marathon together, tethered to each other with a bungee cord.

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Helene has competed in three bodybuilding competitions and climbed Mount Whitney – ascent and descent took a mere 13 hours.

In July 2001, she left her position with the Iowa Dept. of Health, founded and directed the Des Moines Marathon. Helene received the Runner’s World George Sheehan Golden Shoe Award for the Des Moines Marathon. She also received Des Moines’ Key to the City and Proclamation, the Governors seal for community service and commitment, and was a finalist for the Iowa Star Award. In August 2005, she sold the event to Endurance Sports Marketing Corp.

She soon set her sights on larger goals. In the hot summer months of 2010 she became the first woman to run across the Southern portion of the United States, from Ocean Beach, California, to Atlantic Beach, Florida. She is the first person to run this route in the hot humid conditions of summer. The course took 93 days and spanned 2,520 miles – basically a full marathon a day. Along the way, she stopped in hospitals to talk to nurses. She was presented the key to the City of Las Cruces, New Mexico for good will.

She authored the book Nurses In Shape, the Right Dose!

Helene Neville is a nationally know speaker and spokesperson on health and wellness, featured in print, radio, and television

May 2012, Ms. Neville plans to run again: down the West Coast of North America – from Vancouver, British Columbia, through California, and into Mexico – clocking about 1.640 miles.

Helene continues to coach runners, walkers and weight lifters while working full time as a nurse.

Helene has two sons.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Helen Keller