Who Is Katie Thurston? Everything to Know About 'The Bachelor' Alum Amid Her Cancer Battle

Born on January 3, 1991, Katie Thurston grew up in Washington and attended Lynnwood High School. She joined the school's volleyball team and played the position of libero, often showing her defensive skills on the court.

Beyond her reality TV and social media presence, Thurston was a busy bank marketing manager.

"I come from a finance background where I have to know my customers by face and name," she told Us Weekly, explaining how she quickly remembered The Bachelor's contestants. "And so I picked that up right away."

In 2021, Thurston made headlines when she made a grand limo entrance as she joined The Bachelor Season 25. While she became a fan-favorite after she stood up against Victoria Larson's behavior and advocated against bullying among the contestants, she was still eliminated, finishing in 11th place.

Following her The Bachelor appearance, Thurston was tapped to start her journey on The Bachelorette Season 17.

"I don't regret being myself," she said in the promo for the show. "I know what I deserve."

Thurston added, "I am who I am. I want to meet someone who knows who they are. My person is still out there."

During The Bachelorette Season 17 finale, Thurston named Blake Moynes "The One."

She told the winner before the proposal, "I always thought you showed up late, but if there's anything I've learned during our journey together, it's that love shows up when it wants, regardless of time, tradition, expectations, and that's why we're standing right here in this very moment. You showed up exactly when you were meant to show up. I'll forever be thankful that you fought to be here."

Although Moynes appeared hesitant to pop the question, he ultimately got down on one knee and told Thurston, "I can't give you what you came here for because you deserve a lot more than that. You deserve the world, and I'm excited to support you and be there for you every day moving forward."

But shortly after her season ended, she called off their engagement and moved on with John Hersey. Her relationship with the bartender also fizzled out in the end.

On Saturday, February 16, Thurston shocked her followers when she revealed her b----- cancer diagnosis in an Instagram post.

"Yesterday I saw all the couples post their Valentines Day celebrations. I felt envious if I'm being honest," she wrote in the post. "Jeff took me to Hawaii and after, we were going to travel the world before planting roots together in NYC finally. But instead, my Vday was spent coordinating a place to live as I have to go back to LA for more testing and treatment."

According to Thurston, she felt a whirlwind of emotions upon hearing the news. She also spent the holiday making health appointments and plotting a plan going forward.

Amid her current health journey, she reportedly sought out other women who were in similar situations.

She continued, "One thing I did early on was search other stories like mine. Other young women with b----- cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma. Mastectomy. Pregnancy after b----- cancer. All of their stories helped. So I intend to be the same for others. This is day one of sharing and is going to be a long one. This first step of acceptance of my reality was the hardest. But I am ready to fight this."

Thurston ended the post by thanking Arcuri, writing, "I don't know how I'd do this without you."