She Wasa Wonder
15
Carol Chaoui called herself “Wonder Woman” and dressed the part, with a golden crown, red boots, and a cape. Those of us who ran with her called ourselves her “Superhero Friends,” though few of us could keep up. In 2007, at age 43, she finished her first Boston Marathon in 3:30, only about an hour behind that year’s female winner. She ran it 10 times, modifying her Wonder Woman regalia just a little, with removable armbands and knee-high red socks instead of boots.
Chaoui always welcomed company, no matter her companions’ running abilities. She planned fun runs near the Wellesley home she shared with her husband and four children, asking us to don zany costumes for various occasions, especially Saint Patrick’s Day. If we looked too drab, she pulled out socks, hats, or leis from her collection — the gaudier, the better.
She exuded such energy and fitness that her breast cancer diagnosis at age 45 shocked everyone.
Cancer revealed even more of her superpowers. She gathered her community and forged ahead, starting the nonprofit Wellesley Turkey Trot in 2012 to raise funds for metastatic breast cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She formed the Couch to 5K group to train runners of all levels to participate.
And while enduring multiple treatments for cancer as it spread, Chaoui continued to run, raising money for Dana-Farber through the Boston Marathon team. Her husband ran several times with her, and their daughter joined them in 2018. Over time, she raised more than $600,000 for cancer research.
When Chaoui couldn’t run, she walked. When her hair fell out after chemo, she wore bright scarves and hats. She led us in developing deep friendships and support for each other.
Chaoui passed away in August 2020, yet her superpowers carry on. In 2021, on the morning of what would’ve been her 57th birthday, many of us got decked out in her favorite colors — pink and orange — to celebrate her life in front of a plaque honoring her at Linden Square in Wellesley, near the start of the Turkey Trot.
These days, we sign up for races as “Wonder Woman’s Superhero Friends.” All of us — even the newbies who never met her — try our best to follow in her kind and quick footsteps.