BRAINERD — If cancer has taught Annie Henriksen anything, it’s that she’s stronger than she realized.

“That’s the big thing I’ve learned. I thought I was strong and an independent woman, and now I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so impressed with myself,’” the Brainerd woman said during an interview on Oct. 1.

It was 2023 when Henriksen got the life-changing diagnosis. At 37, she was in the best shape of her life and training for the Fargo Marathon. When she and her kids contracted COVID-19, Henriksen’s running coach suggested she go to the doctor to get checked out and make sure she was OK to keep training.

Dr. Hannah Elsenpeter at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby did, indeed, clear Henriksen for training, but she also found something else.

“She’s the most amazing angel in the whole

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