Marla Tellez on 10 Years of Hosting Kickin’ Cancer, Motherhood, and Advocating for Women’s Health

For more than a decade, broadcast journalist Marla Tellez has lent her voice, visibility, and heart to Kickin’ Cancer, the Lynne Cohen Foundation’s annual 5K/10K supporting breast and ovarian cancer prevention. In this episode of The SEAM Podcast, Marla reflects on what the event means to her today—now as a new mother—while sharing how motherhood, recovery, and advocacy have reshaped her relationship to health, work, and purpose. Joined by host Amy Cohen Epstein, Marla discusses returning to work postpartum, breastfeeding on the job, family health history, and why showing up consistently for women’s health still matters more than ever.

Amy Cohen Epstein: This is like my hundredth interview with Marla, and I’m so excited. Your schedule has gone from crazy, to mellow, to baby—and now back to crazy. So let’s just dive in. You’re back at work, you have a baby at home—how are you feeling?

Marla Tellez: I’m finishing my seventh week back at work, which is wild to say out loud. Sloan turns five months this weekend. I think back to when we first spoke, during her second week, and I was completely overwhelmed. That headspace was really hard. But here I am now. I had so much anxiety about going back to work—wondering if she’d forget me, worrying about everything. And we got through it. She’s thriving. I’m there in the mornings and overnights, and she’s doing great. Motherhood is the hardest job—but also the best job in the world.

Amy Cohen Epstein: And you’re pumping at work.

Marla Tellez: I am. Shout-out to Momcozy wireless pumps. Truly incredible. I pump between newscasts, sometimes on my drive home. I come home with about 12 ounces each night. All these unknowns I was anxious about—I’ve adapted. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Amy Cohen Epstein: It starts minute by minute, then hour by hour, then milestone by milestone. And suddenly she’s five months old.

Marla Tellez: Totally. At first you’re afraid you’ll break them. Now I’m swinging her around. She hasn’t spoken yet, but she uses her voice—and I feel like we understand each other. That’s changed everything. Sleeping was the biggest hurdle, but we figured it out. I’m proud of us.

Amy Cohen Epstein: You should be. You’re back at work, the house isn’t upside down, and you’re smiling. That’s huge. And now we have Kickin’ Cancer coming up.

Marla Tellez: Yes—we think this is my tenth year hosting. Community events matter so much to me. Women’s health has always been front and center in my life. My two maternal aunts are breast cancer survivors, so I’m high-risk and started mammograms in my mid-thirties. That’s why this event matters—to talk about breast cancer, but also ovarian cancer, which isn’t discussed nearly enough and is far deadlier.

…

Marla Tellez: Learning about the Lynne Cohen Foundation and your mom’s story changed me. The fact that you provide free services to uninsured and underinsured women is extraordinary. Thousands of women are alive because of this work. As long as you invite me, I’ll be there.

Amy Cohen Epstein: We’re inviting you forever. This year feels especially meaningful—last year you were pregnant, and now you’ll be pushing Sloan in the stroller.

Marla Tellez: With a plus one. And for those listening, Sloan was born on Amy’s birthday, which feels like fate. I’m also a lifelong runner, so a 5K or 10K aligned with women’s health just makes sense for me.

Amy Cohen Epstein: And you’ve taken such good care of yourself through recovery.

Marla Tellez: I had a tough birth—51 hours of labor and a C-section—but I’ve been amazed by what the body can do. I’m five months postpartum and still recovering, but I’m proud of how I’ve fueled my body. I think about it constantly because those nutrients are feeding my daughter. I’ve maintained exclusive breast milk while working, which wasn’t guaranteed—and I feel accomplished.

…

Marla Tellez: When I talk about ovarian cancer on the newscast, viewers write to me—people who’ve lost sisters, wives, mothers. If even one person feels seen or informed, my work is done.

Amy Cohen Epstein: That’s the heart of this. Changing one life changes many. And I love that this event has stayed personal, family-oriented, and grounded in real connection.

Marla Tellez: Your boys grew up with this work—it’s in their DNA. And the ripple effect you’ve created is monumental. Truly.

Amy Cohen Epstein: October 12—we’ll be there no matter the weather. And this year, I get to hold your baby.

Marla Tellez: We’ll be there. Bring everyone. It’s meaningful, it’s joyful, and it matters.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for length, clarity, and readability.