Joe Amabile is entering the next chapter of his recovery with an ambitious goal: completing a marathon only three months after undergoing brain surgery.
I spoke with the Bachelor Nation star during a Northwestern Mutual event at Grand Central Terminal in New York City on Oct. 20. The interactive activation encouraged visitors to approach their financial goals the way runners prepare for a race—by identifying the finish line, choosing a realistic pace, and following a plan.
For Amabile, that comparison became especially personal following his brain tumor diagnosis and subsequent surgery. Although his larger goals did not necessarily change, the experience forced him to reconsider how he would reach them.
“The goal never changed,” Amabile said. “It was more just how I was going to reach the goal.”
The unexpected medical experience also reinforced the importance of having his finances organized. As pathology results and medical bills began arriving, Amabile found himself considering what could happen if his condition took a more serious turn.
“I had my finances pretty much in order, but that was something that I was really happy I did,” he explained. “It was just really important to have everything in order, to have a goal and to have a plan.”
Amabile also began training for a Nov. 1 marathon, using the race as a source of motivation during an uncertain period.
“When I first found out that I had a brain tumor, it was bleak, scary and sad,” he said. “Setting the goal of the marathon was really important for my mental state and just to keep me going.”
The most difficult part of the process has not been finding the motivation to train. Instead, Amabile has had to accept that recovery requires him to adjust his approach.
“The toughest part of training has actually been having to scale it back a little bit,” he said. “The goal hasn’t changed, but the training has changed.”
Beyond the marathon, Amabile and his wife have set a practical financial goal for the coming year: finding a larger apartment. Spending more time at home during his recovery made the limitations of their current space increasingly clear.
“We finally realized after my surgery—and just how much time we spent at home—that we really need a bigger apartment,” he said. “We’ve been dealing with a small apartment for four or five years, and I think we have set the goal for next year to at least come close to doubling the size of our apartment.”
Crossing the marathon finish line, however, would represent more than completing a physical challenge.
“I set a goal that I wasn’t sure I was even going to be able to compete in,” Amabile said. “The fact that I finished a marathon three months after having brain surgery just shows that I am resilient. I put myself in a vulnerable position, and it paid off.”
