Amy Cohen’s story of running the NYC Marathon with sickle cell is one of courage and discipline
Living with sickle cell thalassemia means constantly negotiating between what your body can handle and what your spirit refuses to accept. For Amy Cohen, 29, that tension has shaped her entire life. It’s also what’s driving her to do something few would ever imagine possible: run the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. If you’ve followed my blog, you know my own personal struggles with sickle cell so when hearing Amy’s story, I knew I had to amplify it. Thanks to my colleague at The Koalition, Dana Abercrombie, and Juliana from Civic, I managed to organize an interview with Amy herself.
Amy grew up in Houston hearing endless warnings about what she “shouldn’t” do. Doctors told her family that strenuous activity could trigger a sickle cell crisis, a painful and potentially life-threatening episode that can leave the body in complete agony. “When you have this disease, it’s so isolating because you’re always in the hospital and your friends don’t understand,” Amy says.
Yet even during her worst health episodes, Amy dreamed bigger. She remembers watching The Oprah Winfrey Show with her mother as a child. In one episode, Oprah talked about her own experience training for the New York City Marathon. Seeing a woman who looked like her cross that finish line lit a spark that never went out. Amy promised herself that one day, she would do the same.
Adulthood brought both challenges and determination. With the support of a hematologist and a specialized trainer, Amy began to rebuild her strength safely and systematically. Her first milestone came when she completed the Boston Half Marathon, a defining moment that gave her the confidence to aim higher.
Now, Amy’s preparing for one of the world’s most inclusive and celebrated races, organized by the New York Road Runners (NYRR)—the non-profit behind over 60 adult and youth races each year. The TCS New York City Marathon is often described as the best day in New York, where every runner, from the first finisher to the last, shares the same course, the same energy, and the same sense of triumph.
Amy is part of NYRR’s Team Inspire, a select group of runners chosen for their stories of resilience and purpose. Since March, she’s been training steadily, her sessions fueled by determination and plenty of electrolytes. Hydration is a key part of being a sickle cell patient. To defy the odds like Amy, an endless supply of Gatorade is required to keep her going through her sprints.
But Amy isn’t running to win. She’s running to prove that her condition doesn’t define her. Her message is simple yet powerful: never let your diagnosis determine your destiny.
Be sure to watch the full interview with Amy Cohen above and explore more about the New York Road Runners and Team Inspire below.
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