Jana Le Roux (’23) sees her body for what it enables her to do. It enables her to run, an activity she loves. It enabled her to be a public health student and earn her bachelor’s degree from Biola University in May. It also enables her to fight through cancer.

Currently battling her third cancer diagnosis in two years, Le Roux has stage 4 Ewing Sarcoma in her lungs, which is a rare tumor that is complicated to control. This means she undergoes chemotherapy every three weeks for five days, recovers at home for about a week, then does it all again. She has been residing at her home in South Africa since March, which means she was not able to finish her last semester as a Biola student in a traditional way.

“It’s been really difficult, but I’m holding onto hope and the power of [God’s] blood,” said Le Roux.

Le Roux, despite the difficulties she is currently facing and those she faced as a Biola student, has a heart of gratitude for the experiences she has gone through. She is grateful for her time at Biola as a student and as a member of the cross country and track teams, led by Head Coach Sean Henning. 

Le Roux and a Teammate
Jana Le Roux (right) and a teammate

“I hope that I inspired my teammates to appreciate their bodies for how it fights during practice, and seeing their bodies as vehicles that carry them toward success and being thankful for it,” explained Le Roux. “I hope they could appreciate the opportunity to compete more than for the time on the clock, because what a privilege it was for me to be part of something that special.”

A lot of her time of being a Biola student was interrupted by her first and second cancer diagnoses and treatments, but her friends, professors and coach were always there to encourage her and help her through the challenging times.

“Coach Henning dreamed my running dream with me but always put my health and healing first. He was more than just my coach. A couple of hours after my recent diagnosis he was reading God’s Word to me in the ER,” recalled Le Roux. “Dr. Danielle Walker encouraged me to study public health and shared her love for the nations with me. She allowed me to follow my dreams to educate communities and share the Gospel with them. She worked closely with me to finish my degree and prayed for and with me daily.”

Le Roux was supported by all corners of the university, including Biola’s presidentDr. Barry H. Corey, who is affectionately called DBC by students.

“DBC reached out to me in the midst of my cancer journey in 2023, we had a conversation in his office and I left so inspired. In his busy schedule, he made time to personally meet with me and it meant so much to me to sit with him and pray with him,” Le Roux reflected.

With her wedding planned for August and hopes to return to the United States to see her friends again after not seeing them for graduation, Le Roux is not letting her current circumstances cloud her view of the future, and she wants her story to inspire others.

“I’m excited to not only share my story with others so they can see how our God still performs miracles but also to strengthen my faith through the trials that life continues to offer during this season of life,” shared Le Roux.

One lesson that Le Roux has learned while undergoing the grueling process of treatments for her cancer, is that of what being truly healthy looks like.

“I’ve learned that you can be physically healthy and spiritually sick; then you are sick. And you can be physically sick and spiritually healthy; then you are healthy,” said Le Roux.

Learn more about and apply to earn a public health degree in the School of Science, Technology and Health.

Written by Sarah Dougher, media relations specialist. For more information, email media.relations@biola.edu.