[Cancer, But Make It Fun: A Deep Dive into Friendship and Support with Danielle Mastronardi]-[853. The Support Squad Series: Round 8 with Danielle "Dee" Mastronardi]

Ali on the Run Show · B2 · 2025-12-04

📋 Summary

The Power of Showing Up: A Conversation with Danielle Mastronardi

In this deeply moving episode of the Allie on the Run show, host Allie Feller welcomes her college best friend, Danielle "Dee" Mastronardi, as her "support squad" partner for her eighth round of chemotherapy. While the podcast typically centers on running, this episode is a testament to the enduring bonds of friendship that transcend life's most challenging chapters. Allie and Dee, who have been inseparable since their days at Quinnipiac University, reflect on their shared history, the evolution of their support systems, and the profound importance of "showing up" for those we love.

Two Peas in a Quad: A College Bond

Allie and Dee recount their origin story, which began in their freshman year when they were assigned to share a 300-square-foot quad. They describe themselves as "simpatico" and "two peas in a quad," a bond solidified by shared experiences, from studying abroad in Australia—where they famously stayed up all night to eat at Pancakes in Paradise—to the hilarious, long-standing mystery of a missing television remote. Their conversation is punctuated by lighthearted banter about their college days, including the invention of a fictional friend named "Steve" and the "boyfriend bracket" they once created to rank their past flames. These stories serve as a reminder that the foundation of their friendship was built on laughter, silliness, and an unwavering presence in each other's lives.

Navigating the Hardest Chapters

The tone shifts as they discuss the reality of Allie’s stage four breast cancer diagnosis. Allie shares her struggle with the guilt of not being able to "reciprocate" the support she receives, feeling that her current health battles have consumed her capacity to show up for others in the way she once did. Dee, serving as a pillar of strength and wisdom, challenges this perspective. She reminds Allie that her impact—through her podcast, her writing, and her presence at races—is a form of giving back that ripples far beyond her immediate circle. Dee encourages Allie to be "kinder to herself" and to grant herself the grace she so freely gives to others.

Redefining Support: "Cancer, But Make It Fun"

Central to their discussion is the concept of "Cancer, but make it fun." Dee explains that her goal during this visit was to lighten Allie’s load, not by treating her like a patient, but by engaging in the same traditions they’ve held for two decades. From watching Sex and the City to conducting "Tim Tam slams" and curating a Spotify playlist filled with memories from their college years, Dee’s approach to support is uniquely personal. She emphasizes that showing up doesn't always mean grand gestures; it means being present, listening, and bringing joy into spaces that are otherwise defined by fear and clinical routine.

The Lesson of the Long-Distance Friendship

Allie and Dee offer a powerful message for listeners about maintaining connections through the years. Despite living in different cities for most of their adult lives, their bond has remained unbreakable. They urge listeners not to let the passage of time—whether it be six years or ten—deter them from reaching out to a friend in need. "Pick up the phone," Dee says. "No one is going to think it’s weird that you’re being nice."

Conclusion: A Legacy of Love

As they wrap up their time together before Allie’s chemo session, the conversation returns to the theme of gratitude. Allie reflects on the "blessing in disguise" of being forced to slow down and spend uninterrupted time with the people who matter most. The episode concludes with a heartfelt exchange of love, cementing the idea that while cancer is a "shitty time," the presence of a true friend can turn even the darkest days into a testament of resilience and love. Allie and Dee’s story is a beautiful, raw exploration of womanhood and the profound, transformative power of friendship.

🎯Key Sentences

I'm still not feeling 100%, not even close.

I don't care what people like.

I think I make it worse by being like, I don't care.

You win some, you lose some.

I just want the world to know that I didn't steal.

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📝Key Phrases

pick up the pace

in the wake of

stuck around

held back

hit it off

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📖 Transcript

Welcome to the Allie on the Run show.

I'm your host, Allie Feller, and this is where I talk with people who are doing exciting things on the run and beyond.

From professional athletes and celebrity runners to the everyday amateur and back of the pack runner.

We are here to celebrate everyone and anyone who enjoys a life on the run.

Whether you are running towards something big or away from something that's been holding you back, I am here to hold your hand and help you pick up the pace.

I'm back today with another support squad episode.

So, like, why don't we? unsuccessfully um uh and we just pushed our twin beds together what like a month in oh if that we pushed those beds together pretty immediately yeah so that we could sleep in a big bed almost four months we just slept in what we called the big bed by choice yeah yep for the whole time yeah people loved it people loved coming to our room everyone knew about the big bed uh-huh yeah yeah um okay this morning you among the many things that you've done for me since you've been up here for chemo round eight um you made pancakes and i do think you need to tell everyone tell the story why you made pancakes for breakfast um because this is our claim to fame this is absolutely the claim to fame so when we're in australia the australians are very good at partying like tuesday was their day that they were like this is the day we go out and so um al and i just like You know, one day we were like, I don't even know where the idea came from, but we were like, there's going to be a day before we leave that we stay up all night.

And I sat back and cried because, you know, like my dad would have done exactly the same thing also at the bar after being over served yeah yeah like it was amazing and your dad has like you know I like obviously I don't get to see him as often as I want to but like every single time I see your dad it's it's like a little piece of my dad yeah yeah your dad is so special yeah yeah yeah I mean your whole family is so special but lovers it's like how lucky am I you know yeah we also really built that in college I feel like we came out of college having I don't want to be like having been through a lot like at that point we really hadn't but like anytime you live with people at such a like you bond in really incredible ways yeah like we still are those stereotypical people who get together and like reminisce for hours into the night.

Like we did not sleep enough this week because we've just been like too excited to get to see each other and catch up, which has been and I say this every time I do these episodes but like, if we are to find which I do think is important to do, like I'm never going to be, like I'm glad that I have cancer because it brought me this, that I'm not glad.

But instead we have this little system where people, if it works for them and I never want anyone to feel like it's an obligation to um and one thing i like to talk about is like the different ways of showing up and helping showing up doesn't mean going to chemo like it can obviously um but showing up can look all kinds of different ways um but as soon as i got the email and it was like who's available on each date and it was like d i was like yeah that one that's i choose my choice i choose my choice i mean but also like um I've been harassing you too I think to be like when can I come up when can I come up and you know you're you're never gonna you're never gonna be like yes I need help never I mean and I'm also the same way so I'm not judging you by any means because it's like no I'm a strong independent woman and I can take care of stuff myself you don't want to ask for help from anybody but like I am so honored that you were like yes please come up like I have been like itching to get up here as quickly as possible so it's been a great couple days yeah I mean like the chemo sucks but like the chemo sucks but that but that's not what I'll remember most about these couple days good like you know chemo was was chemo and we'll talk about what the day was like but no like the second that you pulled in my dress and I was like so excited all day because we haven't seen each other for a year we saw each other last October at Comrie's wedding And every time we do see each other, it's like we don't get to just like sit on the couch and like, yeah, we put sex in the city on girls and like, you know, families and stuff going on in our lives.

And like, I don't it's hard for me to accept that you don't. accept like how impactful you are I mean you standing putting medals around people's necks at the end of the race like people have just run a marathon and and you're getting to put that medal do you know how much that means to people like these are things I know that you don't think of but I see every day and I see you do every day and it's incredible and I wish that you would just like acknowledge it a little bit more for yourself.

And so it was cool to hear what memories people came up with and just like the things that, they associate with like it was awesome that was my favorite thing that you did was having all these little stories to share that you had sourced and you reading them and of course like in your voice and you laughing like yeah good good that was awesome that is what I wanted um you know my goal was to be here and make you laugh yeah we laughed a lot um anything for a laugh that's yeah that's our tagline that's anything I Allie I mean if you if I'm sure everybody knows she's so funny you're so funny and you think I'm I oh my gosh I am her best audience because she is everything she says or does she's you're so witty you're so quick like this is why you're good at what you do like you are just on it and ready with a sassy comment it's the best and I wanted to give you that these last couple of days.

Uh no, you did so many things that were so uniquely you and so so specific to our relationship, which felt really extra meaningful and Like there's so many things that you can do to show up for someone that like, anyone needs when they're going through a hard time, or especially if it's chemo, whatever.

My biggest um bit of gratitude of all this is I am getting one-on-one time with my busy, hardworking friends who have a lot going on in their own lives, and like I'm getting this uninterrupted time with them and that is like So and we still get to do like special stuff, like getting to FaceTime with Pia.

But for me, it's really important to... raise Pia in an environment where it's okay to make mistakes first of all okay we can fix it let's talk through it it's fine but also like let's talk about like why that was might have been bad and let's make sure we understand it's how to apologize and then move on because otherwise like what happens it's like how you and I probably like deal with a lot of conflict where we're like okay that sucks I hate that person for a It's just easier to bury it and move on.

Thank you for being such a good, such a good friend obviously, but like you did a lot that made this chemo round eight memorable and special in all ways that were so quintessentially you and I think that's like the final point that I will drive home here is I say this all the time but like there are so many different ways to show up and to help, and like you, rolled up with scrapbooks and they're all from like they're your scrapbooks, but it feels like there are scrapbooks.

And it was so nice to have like that um, overwhelming feeling, going into a really hard day of like good D's here, like everything's gonna be okay because D is here and like, no matter how today goes, like D is here and I know that like you could handle anything that came either of our ways yesterday.

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