My Breathe Team Story
Janet Teng
Fundraising for 2027 Walt Disney World Marathon
Janet Teng
When I was a child, every summer brought the same fear. Sinus infections and allergies that turned into lung infections—again and again. I remember the panic of struggling for air, the helplessness of being unable to climb a flight of stairs or lie down to sleep. The sharp pain in my chest as I tried to pull oxygen into my lungs. The rasping wheeze with every breath. The crushing fatigue.
There is nothing more frightening than not being able to breathe.
Modern medicine saved me. Allergen desensitization therapy and sinus surgery gave me something I never take for granted—the freedom to breathe. Because of that care, I grew up. I built a life. I can run. I can dream. I can live.
But not everyone is that fortunate.
There is no cure for Cystic Fibrosis.
The daily struggles faced by those living with CF make my childhood respiratory problems seem small by comparison. CF is relentless. It demands constant care, constant vigilance, and constant courage—for an entire lifetime.
When my children were little, their favorite singer was Gregory Lemarchal, an immensely talented 20‑year‑old who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when he was barely a toddler.
Gregory refused to let CF define him. He played sports. He danced. He sang with a joy that moved millions. He won the French singing competition Star Academy in 2004 and released several records—his voice often compared to that of an angel, even as his body struggled to keep up.
In 2007, Gregory died at just 23 years old while waiting for a lung transplant.
Because of donor‑funded research and improved therapies, people with Cystic Fibrosis are living longer today. In the 1980s, it was rare for someone with CF to survive beyond their teenage years.
Had Gregory been born just decades later—between 2019 and 2023—he could have lived into his 60s.
He might still be alive today.
Still singing.
Still inspiring.
Still breathing.
Research made that difference—and research can go even further.
That is why I am running the Disney Marathon: to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis research and to stand with the children, adults, and families who face this disease every single day.
Every mile I run is for those who cannot breathe freely.
Every step is for the lives still waiting for a cure.
My illness had an ending. I was treated. I was healed.
People with Cystic Fibrosis don’t yet have that hope.
Please consider making a donation.
Your support—no matter the amount—helps fund research that gives people with CF more time, more life, and more hope. And if you’re unable to donate, sharing this page means more than you know.
People like Gregory deserve the chance to grow old, to play with their grandchildren, and to keep their songs alive.
Thank you for helping me run for them.
My Running Story
There is nothing more frightening than not being able to breathe.
Modern medicine saved me. Allergen desensitization therapy and sinus surgery gave me something I never take for granted—the freedom to breathe. Because of that care, I grew up. I built a life. I can run. I can dream. I can live.
But not everyone is that fortunate.
There is no cure for Cystic Fibrosis.
The daily struggles faced by those living with CF make my childhood respiratory problems seem small by comparison. CF is relentless. It demands constant care, constant vigilance, and constant courage—for an entire lifetime.
When my children were little, their favorite singer was Gregory Lemarchal, an immensely talented 20‑year‑old who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when he was barely a toddler.
Gregory refused to let CF define him. He played sports. He danced. He sang with a joy that moved millions. He won the French singing competition Star Academy in 2004 and released several records—his voice often compared to that of an angel, even as his body struggled to keep up.
In 2007, Gregory died at just 23 years old while waiting for a lung transplant.
Because of donor‑funded research and improved therapies, people with Cystic Fibrosis are living longer today. In the 1980s, it was rare for someone with CF to survive beyond their teenage years.
Had Gregory been born just decades later—between 2019 and 2023—he could have lived into his 60s.
He might still be alive today.
Still singing.
Still inspiring.
Still breathing.
Research made that difference—and research can go even further.
That is why I am running the Disney Marathon: to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis research and to stand with the children, adults, and families who face this disease every single day.
Every mile I run is for those who cannot breathe freely.
Every step is for the lives still waiting for a cure.
My illness had an ending. I was treated. I was healed.
People with Cystic Fibrosis don’t yet have that hope.
Please consider making a donation.
Your support—no matter the amount—helps fund research that gives people with CF more time, more life, and more hope. And if you’re unable to donate, sharing this page means more than you know.
People like Gregory deserve the chance to grow old, to play with their grandchildren, and to keep their songs alive.
Thank you for helping me run for them.
My Running Story
I ran my first marathon in 2001, the year after my second daughter was born.
It was the Paris Marathon. After that race, I was hooked. I never thought I could be a runner because of the breathing issues I struggled with as a child. But as I kept running, my lungs grew stronger and my stamina improved. I went from being a self-described "couch potato" to running every day and training for my next marathon.
In the years that followed, I ran the Amsterdam Marathon, the Athens Marathon, and the New York City Marathon. I was training for the Geneva Marathon in 2004 when tragedy struck.
A skiing accident tore two ligaments in my left knee: the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL).
I underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair my ACL. Just one month later, tragedy struck again.
In a freak accident, I fell while getting out of my car on a hill. The parking brake failed, and the car began rolling backward. I fell to the ground, and the full weight of my Range Rover ran over my left knee.
After this second accident, my knee no longer looked like a knee. It looked like a swollen bowl of Jell-O beneath the skin. The pain was constant. My children could no longer sit on my lap because it hurt too much. Even the wagging tail of our happy dog brushing against my leg was painful. I always felt as though something was lodged beneath my kneecap.
Years passed. Slowly, the pain and swelling decreased, although neither ever disappeared completely.
I thought my running days were over.
Then, in December 2023, my children signed up for a charity race and encouraged me to join them. I told myself that if running became too difficult, I could always walk. To my surprise, my knee held up, and I managed to jog the entire course. It wasn't fast, but it was enough. I felt encouraged.
Later, my daughter ran a half marathon, and her boyfriend ran a full marathon. As I stood along the course cheering them on, I felt the familiar energy of race day all around me. The atmosphere was contagious. In that moment, I realized how much I had missed the running community.
I started running around my neighborhood again and signing up for local 5Ks, simply to reconnect with the sport I loved.
In 2026, I made a decision: I wanted to run another marathon.
I had not completed a marathon since 2003. Twenty-three years had passed. I didn't know whether my body could do it, but I wanted to find out.
I chose the Disney Marathon because I knew it would be well attended and filled with the kind of positive energy that had inspired me to return to running in the first place.
I also chose to run in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a cause that is close to my heart.
To earn my race bib, I raised money through cookie sales, toy adoption fundraisers, and a pancake breakfast organized by my daughter. Every donation brought me one step closer to the starting line.
I am proud to be running for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and I am deeply grateful for the support I have received along the way.
Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping me make this comeback possible.
SEP
21
21
Banana Pudding!
Snickerdoodles!
More cookies!
Baking my way to A Disney Marathon race Bib!
JUN
6
6
Toy adoption to raise money for CFF! The cat decided to get involved!
MAY
5
5
Made Mother’s Day flower pens to fundraiser for CF!
Running little 5Ks as practice for the Big Race!
APR
12
12
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