He let it run for 742 consecutive days with his inseparable David; she became pregnant with her first child, Andrew up to week 30 and from the second, Zlatan, up to 39 years. Natacha López didn’t stop running when her life shook her in 2015 with a heavy blow: breast cancer against which she fought by leaps and bounds. With her veil, she has become an icon of hope for thousands of women. She also ran 15 marathons in one year to celebrate the 42nd birthday of David Serrano, her husband, and above all to celebrate her life. A life that she now, at 42, still beats in her bowels where little Natasha is already counting down the days to see the world for the first time: «It is a gift that life has given me» -says Natacha López- It has been almost twelve years since the last pregnancy and the truth is that we did not have much hope of being parents again, although it is something we had been looking for more than three years. We decided to suspend my cancer treatment, stop the hormone treatment and try to get pregnant naturally.
When Natacha and David had already given up hope of expanding their family, the big news came: “It was a surprise, in fact we had done the Paiporta-Madrid challenge running in stages and when I got home I was tired, I took the test and found out I was pregnant!”
“I did the Paiporta-Madrid challenge without knowing I was pregnant, I found out when I got home”
Natacha clarified that she wants to experience pregnancy actively without giving up what she likes best, running: «I adapted the volume of training, slowing down… but I managed to keep running, it’s something that suits me, so I continued to exercise throughout my pregnancy.
Valencian runner, coach and NLTT team leader He continued to participate in popular races: “yes, as short as those at the Circuit of Valencia”. In this phase of her life, in addition to having the company of David, who has always accompanied her in her sporting challenges and in the worst moments when she ran while undergoing chemotherapy treatment, she Natacha has two other fundamental supports: “We are having a lot of fun because David and I are now racing with our 14 and 11 year olds. and it is very beautiful. They are also passionate about running and we go out to train together, we go to the races… Before going to school and high school they go running with me». Although she has just four weeks left to ‘get out’, Natacha continues to run: “I go out about five times a week and do about 5 kilometres”, underlines the Valencian who, despite her prominent belly, runs at a pace of around 5:30 minutes per kilometre: «I’ll keep running as long as I feel good, it’s something I obviously do with the supervision of my doctors. Of course, I don’t think I’ll have many other careersS. My goal is to get to run the San Silvestre de Rocafort which is on December 28th».
In addition to running, Natacha also does strength training and stretching: “I do functional training but with elastic bands, without lifting weights”.
For Natacha getting pregnant or when she was receiving treatment for cancer is not something extraordinary: «I have never claimed to be the champion of anything, I have simply always tried to continue with my life. My doctors have always told me to lead a normal life and normal, for me, is racing. The Valencian athlete is already thinking about adapting her training when Natasha is born: “it would be nice to run the five of us together, so we are already considering running with a trolley”.
Natacha experiences one of the best moments of her lifesupported by his family, friends and colleagues from the club he created a few years ago, the NLTT: “We are like a family, all team members support me a lot. 24 raced at the Valencia Marathon and they all brought a pacifier in my honor. It was very emotional.” In terms of manpower, Natacha, who works in the Foundation of the diagraman onlus that helps people at risk of social exclusion, has also found stability: “I was in Tarragona for a year and it was tough but now they’ve transferred me to Valencia and I’m very happy, it’s a job that fills me up”.
