University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Track & Field
Always Brave Like Gabe
6/11/2019 9:15:00 PM | Athletics, Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
Gabriele "Gabe" Grunewald (née Anderson), whose courageous battle with cancer while continuing to compete on the track inspired many to be "Brave Like Gabe", passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at age 32.
A native of Perham, Minn., Grunewald went from walk-on to All-American with the University of Minnesota track & field and cross country program. A seven-time All-Big Ten selection (five in track, two in cross country), Grunewald is still the Gophers' school record-holder in the outdoor 1,500 meters (4:13.45) while she also remains part of two school-record relay teams – the outdoor 4x800 meters (8:27.42) and the outdoor 4x1,600 meters (18.58.82). A captain for both the cross country and track & field teams, she was a member of six Big Ten Championship teams (three-straight indoor championships in 2007, 2008 and 2009, an outdoor title in 2006, and back-to-back cross country crowns in 2007 and 2008). Grunewald closed out her collegiate career by finishing as the national runner-up in the 1,500 meters at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, earning All-America recognition for her performance.
Grunewald completed her undergraduate degree as a double-major in political science and English, and she earned her master of public policy, public & nonprofit leadership and management from the University of Minnesota in 2011.
Following her tenure with the Maroon & Gold, Grunewald, who also won the 2004 state title in the 800 meters at Perham High School, competed professionally for Brooks and won the 2014 U.S. title in the indoor 3,000 meters before representing the United States at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships where she finished 10th. She also placed fourth in the 1,500 meters at the 2012 USA Olympic Trials.
Along with her husband, former Gopher runner Justin Grunewald, Gabe Grunewald formed the Brave Like Gabe Foundation in 2018 with the mission to support rare cancer research and empower cancer survivors through physical activity. "Brave Like Gabe" began as a hashtag to support Grunewald in her battle with cancer and has become a rallying cry to inspire the world she leaves behind.
Visitation and Funeral Services
Visitation - 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16 at Washburn-McReavy Hillside Chapel in Minneapolis
Visitation - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday, June 17 at Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis
Funeral - 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 17 at Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis
Celebration of Life - 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, June 17 at Insight Brewing in Minneapolis
While family members and close friends attend the burial at Hillside Cemetery, others are invited to change into running attire and then participate in a walk, jog, or run in Grunewald's honor. The global running community is invited to virtually participate in the run as well. Following services, a celebration of Grunewalde's life will be held from approximately 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Insight Brewing in Minneapolis.
Remembering Gabe Grunewald
Minnesota Assistant Coach Sarah Hopkins (Grunewald's teammate in 2004-05 and coach in 2005-10):
The way Gabe raced was to always be the last one to throw the punch and pull a rabbit out of her hat at the end, so as much as we knew this was coming, I was waiting for the rabbit to come out of the hat just because of who Gabe was. As Heather Dorniden said, none of us thought about the cancer, we thought about Gabe – and Gabe always beat everything. She was always the one who made things happen. In our minds, she was going to find a way because she always did.
In terms of our team here, a couple years ago we started using the "Brave Like Gabe" mantra, and we incorporated the perspective that running is great and we want to be good at it, but when you run for something bigger than yourself, that's when really special things happen. In Gabe's sixth year, when she finished second at NCAAs, she ran for something bigger than herself. I remember being at Hayward Field, and Gabe had never been to the NCAA track meet before. She made the final in the 1500 meters, and everyone was standing on the start line, super nervous and bopping around doing the pre-race thing when everyone's nerves run high. Gabe was just standing there looking around and taking it all in, super calm, because for her it was not that scary. She had already been through really scary things. When she got done with her career at Minnesota, running had taken on a whole different perspective. She still got nervous for races, but it was in a very different way. She was able to let her talent come through and not let all the other stuff get in the way because it just didn't matter that much anymore – even though it still mattered a lot. She was able to find that perspective. That's something that hits home for our women, that you love running but you also understand that it's not life or death. That's something that Gabe was able to find, and it opened up a whole new world for her as a runner and as a person.
The athletes in our program will always know about Gabe. When she first arrived on campus she didn't know if she belonged here, but she not only belonged, she became one of the best athletes we've ever had. Gabe's story without the cancer, who she was an athlete and what she accomplished, is amazing. That's how she tried to look at it too, not letting cancer define her career. It has become a story, but it's not THE story – the story is Gabe. There's no better representative of our program. Everything Gabe was is everything that we hope our athletes are – and she had it all in one package.
Former Minnesota coach Gary Wilson (Grunewald's coach from 2004-10):
Gabe was born tough. She was tough when I recruited her – she was a tough recruit. She was always her own person. She took no guff from anybody, whether it was on the track or in life ... Earlier this week, she told Justin, who is a great guy, that she was ready to go to heaven – but it was on her terms. Obviously, there's a higher being for most people, and she had that [belief], but she was going to go on her terms. That's how she always did things. She raced on her terms, she did school on her terms. She was a special, special kid.
What Gabe has done for the world – she missed making the Olympic team by one place – but people will remember her much more than if she made the Olympic team. They will look at her and believe they can fight … her legacy is one I know I will never forget. I've gotten emails, texts, and phone calls from people all over the world, people who have reached out even though they didn't know Gabe but they know of her, and they feel connected to her. That's a special thing to do. Most people can't garner that kind of respect and grace. Gabe did more in 32 years, and really the last nine years, than 99.9% of people in the world will ever do.
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A native of Perham, Minn., Grunewald went from walk-on to All-American with the University of Minnesota track & field and cross country program. A seven-time All-Big Ten selection (five in track, two in cross country), Grunewald is still the Gophers' school record-holder in the outdoor 1,500 meters (4:13.45) while she also remains part of two school-record relay teams – the outdoor 4x800 meters (8:27.42) and the outdoor 4x1,600 meters (18.58.82). A captain for both the cross country and track & field teams, she was a member of six Big Ten Championship teams (three-straight indoor championships in 2007, 2008 and 2009, an outdoor title in 2006, and back-to-back cross country crowns in 2007 and 2008). Grunewald closed out her collegiate career by finishing as the national runner-up in the 1,500 meters at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, earning All-America recognition for her performance.
Grunewald completed her undergraduate degree as a double-major in political science and English, and she earned her master of public policy, public & nonprofit leadership and management from the University of Minnesota in 2011.
Following her tenure with the Maroon & Gold, Grunewald, who also won the 2004 state title in the 800 meters at Perham High School, competed professionally for Brooks and won the 2014 U.S. title in the indoor 3,000 meters before representing the United States at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships where she finished 10th. She also placed fourth in the 1,500 meters at the 2012 USA Olympic Trials.
Along with her husband, former Gopher runner Justin Grunewald, Gabe Grunewald formed the Brave Like Gabe Foundation in 2018 with the mission to support rare cancer research and empower cancer survivors through physical activity. "Brave Like Gabe" began as a hashtag to support Grunewald in her battle with cancer and has become a rallying cry to inspire the world she leaves behind.
Visitation and Funeral Services
Visitation - 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16 at Washburn-McReavy Hillside Chapel in Minneapolis
Visitation - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday, June 17 at Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis
Funeral - 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 17 at Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis
Celebration of Life - 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, June 17 at Insight Brewing in Minneapolis
While family members and close friends attend the burial at Hillside Cemetery, others are invited to change into running attire and then participate in a walk, jog, or run in Grunewald's honor. The global running community is invited to virtually participate in the run as well. Following services, a celebration of Grunewalde's life will be held from approximately 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Insight Brewing in Minneapolis.
Remembering Gabe Grunewald
Minnesota Assistant Coach Sarah Hopkins (Grunewald's teammate in 2004-05 and coach in 2005-10):
The way Gabe raced was to always be the last one to throw the punch and pull a rabbit out of her hat at the end, so as much as we knew this was coming, I was waiting for the rabbit to come out of the hat just because of who Gabe was. As Heather Dorniden said, none of us thought about the cancer, we thought about Gabe – and Gabe always beat everything. She was always the one who made things happen. In our minds, she was going to find a way because she always did.
In terms of our team here, a couple years ago we started using the "Brave Like Gabe" mantra, and we incorporated the perspective that running is great and we want to be good at it, but when you run for something bigger than yourself, that's when really special things happen. In Gabe's sixth year, when she finished second at NCAAs, she ran for something bigger than herself. I remember being at Hayward Field, and Gabe had never been to the NCAA track meet before. She made the final in the 1500 meters, and everyone was standing on the start line, super nervous and bopping around doing the pre-race thing when everyone's nerves run high. Gabe was just standing there looking around and taking it all in, super calm, because for her it was not that scary. She had already been through really scary things. When she got done with her career at Minnesota, running had taken on a whole different perspective. She still got nervous for races, but it was in a very different way. She was able to let her talent come through and not let all the other stuff get in the way because it just didn't matter that much anymore – even though it still mattered a lot. She was able to find that perspective. That's something that hits home for our women, that you love running but you also understand that it's not life or death. That's something that Gabe was able to find, and it opened up a whole new world for her as a runner and as a person.
The athletes in our program will always know about Gabe. When she first arrived on campus she didn't know if she belonged here, but she not only belonged, she became one of the best athletes we've ever had. Gabe's story without the cancer, who she was an athlete and what she accomplished, is amazing. That's how she tried to look at it too, not letting cancer define her career. It has become a story, but it's not THE story – the story is Gabe. There's no better representative of our program. Everything Gabe was is everything that we hope our athletes are – and she had it all in one package.
Former Minnesota coach Gary Wilson (Grunewald's coach from 2004-10):
Gabe was born tough. She was tough when I recruited her – she was a tough recruit. She was always her own person. She took no guff from anybody, whether it was on the track or in life ... Earlier this week, she told Justin, who is a great guy, that she was ready to go to heaven – but it was on her terms. Obviously, there's a higher being for most people, and she had that [belief], but she was going to go on her terms. That's how she always did things. She raced on her terms, she did school on her terms. She was a special, special kid.
What Gabe has done for the world – she missed making the Olympic team by one place – but people will remember her much more than if she made the Olympic team. They will look at her and believe they can fight … her legacy is one I know I will never forget. I've gotten emails, texts, and phone calls from people all over the world, people who have reached out even though they didn't know Gabe but they know of her, and they feel connected to her. That's a special thing to do. Most people can't garner that kind of respect and grace. Gabe did more in 32 years, and really the last nine years, than 99.9% of people in the world will ever do.
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