Feller's podcast, "Ali on the Run," has more than 23 million downloads.

She is also a start- and finish-line announcer for a variety of running organizations, including the New York Road Runners, the Chicago Marathon and Millennium Running. When not announcing, she can be found on air, reporting for the New York City and Boston marathons.

While she touches lives daily, behind the scenes, she is fighting a battle with stage IV breast cancer.

Feller shares her life on social media authentically. Her verified Instagram account, @aliontherun1, has more than 110,000 followers, and is defined by honesty. She describes her honesty as a “superpower.”

“Maybe there is someone out there going through something similar, something hard and reading about someone in a similar situation can feel really comforting,” said Feller. “I know firsthand.”

Feller offers an authentic look at her battle with cancer, special moments with her daughter, Annie, and triumphs in her running and career journeys. Through it all, she captures what she calls “the real stuff” — the highs, the lows and every nuanced moment in between.

While positivity radiates from her online presence, there is more duality to her life than her fans may realize.

“I think one of the biggest misconceptions about me is that I’m positive all the time. I’m not," she said.

Feller digests every emotion that comes with the challenges and accomplishments in her life — never trapping herself in specific feelings.

“I think the key to being positive is not necessarily forcing it. It's letting yourself feel the range of very real human emotions. Taking them as they come, sitting with them and moving on to the next when you're ready,” Feller said.

Feller carries honesty into her career. She is true to herself, and grows with her industry.

“On the career front, I am doing something today that didn't even exist when I graduated in 2007,” Feller said. “I was a print journalism major turned magazine editor and freelance writer turned blogger turned podcast host. My career has always been a result of following what I am truly passionate and excited about.”

Her time at Quinnipiac certainly influenced her career.

She was involved on campus as a features editor for the student-run campus newspaper, The Chronicle, and captain of the Kickline dance team.

She also credits her major for helping to propel her career.

“I was a journalism major, and am proud to say that I put that major — and my dance background — to good use. Immediately after graduating, I moved to New York City where I worked as an editor at Dance Spirit magazine, and eventually worked my way up to being editor in chief,” said Feller. “I have written for publications, including Women's Health, Self, Shape, Well+Good, Fitness, Dance Magazine, Runner's World, Women's Running, and more.”

While she used her degree in her career, Quinnipiac also gave her a forever community of support.

“I am so grateful to still be close with so many people I went to QU with,” said Feller. “My roommate for all four years, Danielle Mastronardi, just traveled to New Hampshire from Rhode Island to come with me for my eighth round of chemotherapy.”

She also felt overwhelming support from her professors, who she is still connected with today.

“Beyond helping me in my eventual career, I had so much fun at Quinnipiac, and I felt so supported there. My professors were involved — my favorite professor, Margarita Diaz, just emailed me a few weeks ago to check in and see how I'm doing — and encouraging, and my classmates and peers pushed me to be better in every single class,” Feller said.

Through her career, Feller found another community of people who love to lift each other up. She fits right in.

"We are capable of so much, especially when bolstered by community," she said.

Experiencing marathons from a runner's point of view has meant the world to her, but her broadcasting job enables her to support others as well, which she loves to do.

“Today, though, my favorite running experiences aren't my own runs or races, they're the ones where I get to be at the start lines, on the sidelines and at the finish lines, cheering on runners as a race announcer and broadcaster,” said Feller. “Getting to be a finish line announcer at the Boston and New York City marathons is such a gift. It is the most fun job in the world: Being a cheerleader for everyday people accomplishing something huge.”

Uplifting and inspiring others is not just a facet of her career, Feller does this every day in her personal life as a full-time mom to her daughter, Annie.

However, positively influencing other’s lives is not her ultimate goal in life.

Feller said, “My goal is never necessarily to inspire anyone or try to have an impact. My goal is to raise my daughter to be a good, kind person. Anything beyond that is a bonus.”

Living with cancer while raising seven-year-old Annie comes with challenges, but not ones that Feller cannot conquer. She seeks support from her friends and therapist while simultaneously showing up for her daughter.

“It's very important to me throughout all of this that I do not add any weight to Annie's life," she said. "I manage my emotions on my own time, and then I'm in full mom-mode when I'm with her.”

While Feller does not let her emotions impact her daughter, she is still honest with Annie.

“I've been honest with my daughter about having breast cancer and what that means,” said Feller. “I've talked to her about it in ways that she can understand without adding any stress or worry to her life.”

She is honest with her daughter in the same way she is honest with her support system, fans and herself.

Feller appreciates the beautiful aspects of her life while living with her diagnosis. She does not hide from cancer, but instead faces challenges head on and embraces her reality with the people who love her the most.

“We are all fully aware that my reality with a stage IV cancer diagnosis totally sucks. Sometimes we cry. A lot,” said Feller. “But we also make sure that we laugh, that we appreciate and celebrate the good times, and that we never stop having fun.”

Feller lives in the moment and urges her fellow Bobcats to do the same.

“It really is true that the best stuff in life comes when you slow down, breathe and take it all in. Savor the good stuff,” said Feller. “Process the hard stuff. Keep taking it all as it comes, and try not to get too worked up about stuff that hasn't even happened yet. It's not the best use of your energy, I promise.”

In Focus