20 Years of Team In Training in North Texas: 1997

2014 is a special year for the North Texas Team In Training (TNT) campaign.  It is celebrating 20 years of running, biking, and hiking to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and it's mission to find a cure for blood cancers.  Saturday, Feburary 8th TNT will kick off a year of celebrating.  To honor the thousands of North Texas TNT alumni and the millions of dollars they raised in that time, we are going to count down each year of the program leading up to the TNT Alumni "Celebrate You" event on Feburary 8th. 

1997

1997 was a very important year for the North Texas Team In Training program.  Not only was this the first year the century program was added, but Coach Joe Bacon signed up for his first event - the Anchorage Marathon.  Two years later he became a TNT Coach.  Fifteen years later, Coach Joe is still pushing TNT athletes to the finish line and is the longest tenured coach in North Texas.  He has trained hundreds of athletes and played a crucial role in raising MILLIONS of dollars for blood cancer research.

  

What is your favorite memory of TNT?

Returning from my first event (Anchorage 1997) with a gift for Cooper, my honored hero, and his mom shaking my hand with tears in her eyes and said, "for all the moms with children battling leukemia - thank you."  That still gives me chills.

What brought you to TNT originally?

Just wanted to run a marathon in Anchorage so I went to a recruitment meeting and signed up.

What about TNT makes you keep coming back?

TNT has become part of my extended family and ministry

What do you want to see in the next 20 years for TNT in North Texas?

Not just a cure but a way to prevent blood cancers.

What was the best part of the 1997 Anchorage Marathon?

24 hours of sunlight to enjoy the beauty of Anchorage for five days and the fundraising.

How many events have you done with TNT?
20 San Diego Marathons
5 Anchorage Marathons
4 Disney Marathons
3 Honolulu Marathons
2 Dublin Marathons
Arizona Rock N Roll
And marathons in Bermuda, Rome, Paris and Madrid