Teen Tumors to Tokyo: Runner Credits Health Crisis for Success

When doctors found a tumor growing behind Anya Culling's right eye at age 16, she thought her world had ended. Instead, it became the beginning of an extraordinary journey that would take her to elite marathon starting lines across the globe.

The diagnosis came unexpectedly after a routine eye test in Norfolk. "I got a phone call like 'you need to come into hospital over the next week because we need to operate on a tumor growing in your face,'" Culling recalls. "That's when my whole world flipped upside down."

Just as she recovered from surgery, blood tests revealed another challenge: Graves' disease, an autoimmune condition causing an overactive thyroid. The teenager struggled with panic attacks, weight gain from steroids, and plummeting confidence while trying to complete her GCSEs.

But meeting other patients in the hospital shifted her perspective. "I met a lot of people struggling with conditions far greater than mine, which made me feel so lucky for the life I've been given," she says. "I told myself I would live life to the fullest and take every opportunity that comes my way."

That promise transformed her life. After radiotherapy effectively killed her thyroid, requiring lifelong medication, Culling eventually found running during the 2020 lockdown. What started as countryside jogs in everyday trainers became a passion that unlocked hidden potential.

Her progress has been remarkable. From a four-hour London Marathon finish in 2019, she slashed her time to two hours and 34 minutes at the 2023 Copenhagen Marathon. She now competes alongside elite runners, finishing 16th at the 2024 London Marathon and 71st in the women's race at Tokyo last month.

Why This Inspires

Culling's story shows how our darkest moments can light the path forward. Her teenage health crisis didn't just test her resilience; it fundamentally changed how she approaches life. She discovered "pronoia," a concept meaning the world works with you, not against you.

"The 'runner's high' is a real thing. It makes you feel you can conquer the world," she explains. That mindset extends beyond running into every aspect of her life, turning past trauma into present triumph.

She's now sharing her journey through a new BBC Sounds series called "Anya Culling's No Limits," hoping to inspire others facing their own challenges. The woman who once struggled with self-belief now helps others find theirs.

Culling will compete in the London Marathon again on April 26, carrying forward the promise she made to herself in that hospital room years ago.