Running Gave My Life A New Meaning: Sevil Aksoy’s Story of Healing, Hope, and Freedom

There’s a magic in movement that you can’t quite describe until you’ve been through something hard, really hard, and realize your legs can still carry you forward. For Sevil Aksoy, running wasn’t always about distance or medals. With a simple need to heal, running after life challenges also allowed her to grow.

“I really started running after my divorce,” Sevil says. “I had some weight gain and I just started to heal from that. It was a twofer.”

But this wasn’t a story of quick fixes. It was a slow burn, like most long runs. She began running more consistently around 2010, not with grand plans of ultramarathons, but just to feel like herself again. Things changed during a brutal flu. Laid up in bed, sick and exhausted, Sevil had a realization.

“I remember being so sick in bed and feeling like, if I feel better, I could do anything.”

That’s when she signed up for her first half marathon. While most runners build up gradually, Sevil took the scenic route. She skipped the marathon entirely and jumped from half marathons to a 50K, then a 50-mile race, and eventually a 100-miler. This fall, the Chicago Marathon will actually be her first road marathon.

From Physical Healing to Mental Clarity

What began as a tool for weight loss and post-divorce healing transformed into something far more profound. As a licensed psychotherapist, Sevil leans into the mental and emotional power of running.

“It’s meditative. It’s repetitive. My long runs are often without music. I’m just in my head, thinking. And a lot of times, I end up with clarity I wouldn’t have otherwise.”

She uses mental tools to get through tough runs, like the 5-5-5 (or 4-4-4) breathing method or distraction techniques borrowed from tools for anxiety. Her mantra? “One step at a time.” And when the pain comes, she doesn’t fight it.

“Oh, here’s the pain, my old friend,” she jokes.

It’s not just philosophy; it’s practice. She keeps her cadence at 170 steps per minute, breathes in for three steps, out for three. Depending on the speed of the run that may turn to breathe in for four steps and out for four steps. This rhythm becomes its own kind of prayer, a ritual of gratitude for a body that still moves.

When you combine breathing techniques with being outside and in nature, this helps Sevil with being aware. It also gives her a great appreciation for life and healing. The phrase, go outside and touch grass, has great meaning to her.

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Running Through Cancer

Five and a half years ago, Sevil was training for her first 50-mile race. She finally had insurance for the first time in a decade and decided to go in for a regular checkup. That decision saved her life.

“They found cervical adenocarcinoma—it’s the aggressive kind. By the time they did surgery, it had progressed to stage 1B2.”

Most people might pause their training. Sevil kept running after the news of another challenge in her life.

“I found out, kept training, ran my 50-miler, then had two surgeries about ten days later.”

She returned to running by January.

“I felt like I was in the best shape of my life. No symptoms, nothing. That’s why I always tell people: get your checkups. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.”

It’s Not About Pace, It’s About Purpose

Sevil is the first to admit she’s not a fast runner. And she’s okay with that.

“I don’t have speed, but I have stamina. I can keep going as long as I go slow. That’s why I gravitate toward long distances.”

Her focus for the Chicago Marathon is pure joy.

“No time goals. I want to high-five people, hug my friends, smile through it all.”

She also rejects the toxic comparison culture that creeps into the sport.

“You’re on the trail, someone passes you, and you start questioning yourself. But you don’t know their story. Maybe they’re running a 5K and you’re training for a 100-miler. Stay in your lane.”

The Joy of Movement, The Gift of Life

For Sevil, running is now a way to say thank you.

“It’s my way of showing gratitude to the universe for being alive. Movement is life.”

Her goal isn’t to rack up medals. It’s to keep running into her 60s, 70s, maybe beyond. And if she can’t run? She’ll walk. The point is to keep moving.

“Even on bad days, I try to remember that. Some runs suck. That’s okay. Life is like that too. You just keep moving.”

Inspiring Others, One Step at a Time

Sevil has unintentionally become a source of inspiration to many.

“A lot of friends and even strangers on Instagram tell me I’ve inspired them. It’s humbling. I always think, ‘It wasn’t me—you’re doing it on your own.'”

She doesn’t see herself as a hero. She sees herself as someone who just kept putting one foot in front of the other. And she encourages others to do the same—especially those just getting started.

“Hope is everything. If you can find even a sliver of hope, that’s what keeps you alive. You might be in the muck now, but it’s not forever.”

Endurance as a Metaphor for Living

Sevil’s story is proof that endurance sports aren’t just about miles. They’re about meaning. When faced with life challenges, many of us turn to running and after that first step…..our lives are changed forever.

She isn’t chasing PRs. She’s chasing presence. She’s savoring the feeling of being alive. And that joy, that daily gratitude, is something she believes everyone can find through movement regardless of pace, race, or gear.

“You don’t have to do it. You get to do it.”

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