Nelle Fox overcomes lyme disease, will be running the Boston Marathon

31-year-old Bridgewater resident Nelle Fox is getting ready to run in the Boston Marathon. "I remember being on the treadmill at the gym in December and I was seeing something about the coronavirus," Fox said. "I mentioned it to one of my training friends and she was like, 'What's that? Is that like a beer, you get it from drinking a beer?' And i mean, just like, we didn't think anything of it."

Because of the coronavirus, the Boston Marathon will be run in September.

"By the time that they had postponed it for me, that wasn't even a priority anymore," Fox said. "It was how can I protect my health? Because I am immunocompromised."

Fox is in remission from lyme disease, which she was diagnosed with in 2017.

"In my running training and life in general I was just exhausted," Fox said.

2017 was an eventful year for Fox. She met her husband Mike Fox on New Year's day. That fall, Nelle and Mike started Excel Rocktown, a running, coaching and consultation service that they're still offering today.

"It was such a success, so many people and friends came to work out with us," Mike said. "I was like man we should probably do this on a regular basis."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foxes are using their platform to help runners keep running.

"Motivation is a struggle for almost every runner right now and even though we can't get together in a group," Mike said. "Go run there [are] virtual ways for us to see what we're each doing and we have to utilize those tools right now to help each other stay motivated to get out the door."

And Nelle is staying motivated, still focused on the Boston Marathon.

"It's gonna be an intense feeling," Nelle said. "I think I'll probably cry when I cross that finish line."

posted Monday April 6th
by Alex Flum