BURLA TO UNDERGO SURGERY FOR MALIGNANT TUMOR
By David Monti
(c) 2010 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
NEW YORK (21-Feb) -- Promising USA distance runner Serena Burla will
undergo surgery here on Friday for a malignant tumor in her leg.
"About three weeks ago, I was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in my
right hamstring during a check-up for a nagging right knee irritation,"
the 27 year-old Burla wrote in a statement to friends which she
subsequently approved for public release. "The good news is that it
has not spread to other parts of my body. I'll undergo surgery and
further treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New
York City next Friday."
Burla's medical problem was initially reported to Race Results Weekly by her coach, Isaya Okwyia, who is a medical doctor.
Born Serena Ramsey, Burla, from Ellisville, Mo., competed for the
University of Missouri where she was the Big 12 runner-up at both 5000m
and 10,000m in 2006. She married Missouri teammate, shot-putter Adam
Burla, and the couple had a son, Boyd, in December, 2008. She came
back strongly from maternity leave last June, taking second at the NYRR
New York Mini 10-K, clocking 33:04 on a hilly course.
Under Okwyia, Burla discovered her abilities at the longer end of the
distance running spectrum. She finished 17th (second American) at the
IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships last October in a then personal
best of 1:10:55. She dropped that time to 1:10:08 at the 2010 USA
Half-Marathon Championships in Houston this January, finishing second
to Olympic bronze medallist, Shalane Flanagan. Burla had planned to
compete in the NYC Half-Marathon on March 21, but withdrew from the
race after getting her diagnosis.
"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their
continued support and prayers," Burla continued. "As usual, I have my
game face on and plan on fighting through this."
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