#TNTBECAUSE: Meet Sarah Chua

Meet Sarah Chua, one of the newest members of North Texas Mega Team Team Ecks Factor. As a team, they have already raised over $80,000 this year. Sarah runs in honor of her mom and many other family members affected by blood cancers. Sarah is currently training for her 3rd TNT event, the New York City Marathon. Read on to hear more of our interview with Sarah.

1. What made you decide to participate in the New York City Marathon?

I decided to participate in the New York City Marathon because I thought training, fundraising and running through NYC would be a fantastic way to celebrate my upcoming 30th birthday and celebrate my TNT Honored Heroes.  Since joining in 2016, the New York City Marathon will be my 3rd TNT event and second full marathon.


2. What got you involved with Team In Training?

I first found out about Team in Training from my cousin, Tracy. She started fundraising with Team in Training in Minneapolis after recovering from her stem cell transplant and treatment for Hogkins Lymphoma.

In 2013, my mother was diagnosed with a type of non-Hogkins Lymphoma. This diagnosis was received after 10 years of remission from a previous breast cancer diagnosis.  My mom underwent many rounds of chemotherapy that fall and on December 20th had an autologus stem cell transplant.    

I have many friends and family members affected by blood cancers. My mom, two cousins and friends have received stem cell transplants and are currently in good health. I have two close family friends living with blood cancer. My husband's grandfather was diagnosed with lymphosarcoma in 1979. The list goes on...

I have been a runner for most of my life and love the challenge of long distance running. My life has been touched by cancer and I felt called to join TNT and use my passion to make a difference for others. I enjoy running for the personal challenges and the adventures it provides. But, on those days I'd rather binge Netflix, I lace up my shoes to run or I work hard to fundraise because someone's life depends on it. I do it because running through my pain or ignoring my uneasiness asking people to part with a portion of their hard earned wage is inconsequential compared to the struggle of someone coping with the side effects of chemotherapy or someone regaining their strength after a stem cell transplant takes them to the edge and beyond.


3. Finish this sentence, I do “TNTBecause…”

I do TNTBecause the list of people I know affected by cancer is too long.

4. Tell us why you joined Team Ecks Factor.

Mascot Dave's story and attitude is so inspirational to me and I joined Team Ecks Factor to support Mascot Dave, his friends and family. I was a member of Team Five Alive last year and also love the additional camaraderie formed by TNT members joining fundraising forces to dedicate money towards a specific research grant or study.

5. What’s your favorite TNT memory so far?

My favorite TNT memory so far was the weekend of the 2016 Dallas Marathon since it was a weekend honoring blood cancer warriors. That Saturday, my family and I attended a luncheon celebrating a friend's 10 years after her stem cell transplant. My family also attended the Honored Hero dinner that evening.  After hearing me talk about it so much, I loved sharing the full TNT experience and mission moments with my parents and husband.

Race-day on Sunday was a flood of emotion as I checked an item off my bucket list and completed my first full marathon. With over 150 runners at the event, we raised over $160K for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  A few days later, we commemorated 3 years since my mom's stem cell transplant. It was a crazy few days, but so worth the blood, sweat and tears of the previous 6 months of training and fundraising to share those meaningful days with my friends and family.   

* * * * *

You can read more of Mascot Dave's story on his personal blog here. 

We know that Mascot Dave has touched so many people over the years. Anyone can join Team Ecks Factor and help them reach their goal of $250,000!  

Register for an event today.

www.teamintraining.org/ntx

#TNTBECAUSE: Meet Jim Hogan

We are continuing our series on the blog with interviewing current Team In Training (TNT) participants. Today we are chatting with Jim Hogan of Fort Worth.  He is an avid runner who has completed several marathons, ultra-marathons and triathlons. Jim has been involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) since 2009 where he currently serves on our North Texas Board of Directors, the Links for Leukemia Golf Tournament committee and is an active participant in the Light The Night Campaign.  Jim is currently training with Team In Training for the 2017 Boston Marathon and will be one of only two TNT participants representing Texas!

1. What made you decide to run Boston Marathon?

As an aging “injury prone” marathon runner, The Boston Marathon is the most prestigious marathon you can participate in.  I lost my mother to brain cancer last year and that inspired me to really start training again so that I could complete this final run, and what a marathon to end on! 

Jim's mom, Judy Hogan

2. What does it mean to you that you secured one of the coveted spots for this race?

As a runner it’s achieving Mt Everest! I am honored and blessed to be able to participate in one of the world’s greatest sporting events.  It’s very hard to be able to put into words how it feels knowing that in a few weeks I will be able to say that I am a Boston Marathon finisher.  I have come close to qualifying several times so knowing that it’s actually happening is quite surreal.  To top it all off I not only get to check off one from the bucket list, but get to do it representing a cause that I have been a part of for 8 years. I am so honored to get to run and represent LLS and TNT.

3. What got you involved with Team In Training?

I was introduced to TNT through work associates.  Being a runner for many years I really enjoyed the idea of being a part of a team and running for a cause.

Jim running the Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon

4. Finish this sentence, I do “TNTBecause…”

I do TNT because others are not able to. And what I mean by that is as I got more involved with LLS we get the opportunity to visit hospitals and meet children and parents who are affected by blood cancers.  I run for them!

5. Anything else interesting that you would like to tell us?
 

I have 3 awesome boys who keep me insanely busy.  I am surrounded by family and a great group friends who support me in all of my endeavors and craziness.  I am a very lucky man!

Jim's sons

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It's not too late to join Jim and the TEAM this season.  Register for an event today.
www.teamintraining.org

Team Ecks Factor Sets Goal at $250,000

Meet North Texas's Newest Mega Team! 

Team Ecks Factor

Dave Eckberg is a hero to so many people.  He’s a hero to his wife, children, and grandchildren.  He’s a hero to his siblings and nephews and nieces.  He’s a hero to his friends and neighbors.  And he’s a hero to the many patients that he cared for over his 20+ year career as an OB/GYN.  Finally, he’s a hero to so many people involved with Team in Training and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  We consider him our Honored Hero, but he humbly declines the title and insists that we – the folks out running the miles and doing the fundraising for folks like him – are the real heroes.  He insists that we instead refer to him as our team mascot, Mascot Dave.

After 15 years of fighting his CLL, Dave has run out of chemotherapy treatment options.  He’s been treated and gone into remission many times over the years, but his disease has always come back.  So now he’s getting a bone marrow/stem cell transplant – a risky and challenging procedure.  

In honor of Mascot Dave’s journey, Team Ecks Factor has been formed.  They are a group of friends, family, and TNT teammates (who have become dear friends and family) working together to raise money for LLS - money that will be used to fund research into new treatments and, hopefully very soon, cures!   

Dave's family was first involved with LLS over 10 years ago when they participated in the Fort Worth Light The Night walk in 2007. It seems fitting that a decade later they use the same name for their greatly expanded team! 

Dave checked into M.D.Anderson Cancer Hospital back in February in preparation for his bone marrow transplant. During his hospital stay he had to walk every day. His TNT friend, Megan Rouse, came up with the idea of him actually completing a half marathon around the nurses station.  Dave said "I will be completing laps around the nurses pod and each is .2 miles.  The nurses hand out stickers for each lap so I can keep track."

Before he was discharged he completed his virtual half marathon! 

You can read more of Mascot Dave's story on his personal blog here. 

We know that Mascot Dave has touched so many people over the years. Anyone can join Team Ecks Factor and help them reach their goal of $250,000!  

Register for an event today.

www.teamintraining.org/ntx

#TNTBECAUSE - Meet Chris & Cheryl

Here is our fourth in a series of posts leading up to the BMW Dallas Marathon. Today we are interviewing Chris & Cheryl Berg.  The Berg's have been involved with LLS since 2008 when their son was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). Read on to hear why they are doing the Dallas Marathon.

1. What made you decide to run the BMW Dallas Marathon?

North Texas is our home and we enjoy running and training in the fall in order to take part in the BMW Dallas Marathon.  This will be Cheryl's 8th marathon and it will be Chris' 7th with TNT.

2. What does it mean to you that the BMW Dallas Marathon has been named a national event for Team In Training?

We are Texas proud!  There is nothing better to see than the sea of Team In Training participants in purple running in Dallas and hearing "Go Team" echo through the downtown buildings. We look forward to seeing all the TNT participants from across the nation joining together for the same cause.

3. What got you involved with Team In Training?
Our son James was diagnosed with ALL in April of 2008, just prior to his 5th birthday.  After a year of intensive treatment and many hospital stays, his health stabilized.  At that point, we wanted to do more to make sure no child would ever have to go through what James had to endure. This year marks James 5th year from being done with the chemo treatment that lasted 3 1/2 years.  James is our hero and our motivation to come back year after year.

4. Finish this sentence, I do “TNTBecause…”
Because if we don't who will.

5. Tell us about the team you’ve formed to run the relay with.
We have not done the relay but the two of us are a team.  Together we have had sleepless nights worrying about James, stressed about how to make all of the right decisions about his treatment and struggled wondering if there will be another shoe that is waiting to drop with his health.  Together we plow through the 26.2 miles each year hoping and praying the efforts of Team in Training members and great researchers make more discoveries to help the next James Berg.

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Did you know?

• BMW Dallas Marathon is the longest running race in the state of Texas
• More than 40 different bands are on the course for your entertainment
• Stay 2 nights at the TNT hotel and you can skip expo lines and have your packet waiting in your hotel room!
• Earn Awesome Fundraising Incentives

Join the Dallas Marathon TNT Team or join the 5 Person Relay!  150 people have already taken the challenge.  Contact Mariel Bongiovanni for more details. 

www.teamintraining.org/ntx

#TNTBECAUSE - Meet Jennifer Massaviol

Here is our third in a series of posts leading up to the BMW Dallas Marathon. Today we are interviewing Jennifer Massaviol.  She has been involved with LLS since 2009 when her Dad, Dave Eckberg, served as a team Honored Hero.  Read on to hear why she is doing the Dallas Marathon.

1. What made you decide to run the BMW Dallas Marathon?

It's such a great, local event.  Though I'm doing the Vegas Half in November, I didn't want to miss out on the excitement of participating in the BMW Dallas Marathon.


2. What does it mean to you that the BMW Dallas Marathon has been named a national event for Team In Training?
It means that we can look forward to a sea of purple people swarming into Dallas to join the fight against blood cancers.  It's always so inspiring to see so many TNT participants working together for a common cause.

3. What got you involved with Team In Training?

 I joined TNT in 2009 after my dad had been an Honored Hero and participant for a couple of years.  I started out walking half marathons with him.  The 2009 Dallas Half-Marathon was my first event.  When my dad was no longer able to train, I decided that I would complete a full Dallas Marathon -- to complete my half and also his.  I'm now fundraising for my 8th and 9th seasons with TNT.

4. Finish this sentence, I do “TNTBecause…”

... it makes me feel less powerless in my dad's fight against leukemia.
... TNT is made up of so many wonderful people.
... I've seen so much progress in the treatments for blood cancers since my dad's diagnosis, and I want to be a part of one day soon finding a CURE.

5. Tell us about the team you’ve formed to run the relay with.

My team is comprised mainly of co-workers.  A TNT teammate (Cate Gussio) and I discovered that we were co-workers at Sprint.  A year later we decided to pull together a Sprint team to run the relay at the Dallas Marathon.

You can read more about Jen's story here. 

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Did you know?

• BMW Dallas Marathon is the longest running race in the state of Texas
• More than 40 different bands are on the course for your entertainment
• Stay 2 nights at the TNT hotel and you can skip expo lines and have your packet waiting in your hotel room!
• Earn Awesome Fundraising Incentives

Join the Dallas Marathon TNT Team or join the 5 Person Relay!  150 people have already taken the challenge.  Contact Mariel Bongiovanni for more details. 

www.teamintraining.org/ntx

#TNT BECAUSE - Meet Sheila Jackson

Here is our second in a series of posts leading up to the BMW Dallas Marathon. Today we are interviewing Sheila Jackson.   She has been involved with LLS since 2015 when she made a promise to herself to complete one TNT event per year.  Read on to hear why she is doing the Dallas Marathon.

1. What made you decide to run the BMW Dallas Marathon?

I started participating with Team In Training in 2015. My initial promise was to participate in one event per year.  2016, one event did not feel like enough. I completed the San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon in June. December's BMW Dallas Marathon is here at home and perfect fit for my second event this year.

2. What does it mean to you that the BMW Dallas Marathon has been named a national event for Team In Training?
I'm thrilled this event is being included in the list of national events for Team In Training.  North Texas is my home. It's time the power of purple runners and walkers rally together to end blood cancer in Big D. 

3. What got you involved with Team In Training?

 My dear friend and Honored Hero,  Don Armstrong.

4. Finish this sentence, I do “TNTBecause…”

It's my duty. I believe GOD put us here to help one another. I am physically able to participate, raise money and share a message of hope that every step represents, helping one more person beat cancer.

   

5. Tell us about the team you’ve formed to run the relay with.

IDLife is a Health & Wellness Company. We put people and their long-term health first. Simply put, each one of the team members participating is committed to supporting causes that end human suffering.  Team In Training is aligned with our personal and professional mission. My team is made up of Joe, Ann Marie, Bo & Lizzy!  Together we will complete the race in December.

______________________________________________________________________________

Did you know?

• BMW Dallas Marathon is the longest running race in the state of Texas
• More than 40 different bands are on the course for your entertainment
• Stay 2 nights at the TNT hotel and you can skip expo lines and have your packet waiting in your hotel room!
• Earn Awesome Fundraising Incentives

Join the Dallas Marathon TNT Team or join the 5 Person Relay!  150 people have already taken the challenge.  Contact Mariel Bongiovanni for more details. 

www.teamintraining.org/ntx

#TNTBECAUSE - Meet Kathleen Tucker

Team In Training is starting a series of blog posts leading up to the BMW Dallas Marathon. We will be interviewing current Team In Training participants to find out why they are training and fundraising for this event. First up is Kathleen Tucker. Kathleen has been involved with TNT since 2012 and raised over $35,000. Read on to hear why she is doing the Dallas Marathon.

1. What made you decide to run the BMW Dallas Marathon?

When I learned that The Dallas Marathon would be a National event I didn't want to miss out on being a part of it. What an exciting thing for North Texas! This will be my 3^rd event in 2016, following the Pixie Dust Challenge and Chicago Marathon. Unfortunately, I’m currently sidelined with an injury so I’m not able to complete the Chicago Marathon this weekend but will still be traveling with the team to cheer them on.

2. What does it mean to you that the BMW Dallas Marathon has been named a national event for Team In Training?

It's an opportunity to show off the awesomeness that we are here in North Texas and the passion we have in our fight against blood cancer. There are so many dedicated folks centered right in our area and it's a great network of support and I'm thrilled we get to show it off!

3. What got you involved with Team In Training?
My brother, Billy, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2004 and lived less than one year after his diagnosis. He was an amazing big brother and had a huge influence on me. The year he was diagnosed I learned about Light the Night and formed a small team to walk. Billy was in treatment at the time but also came out and walked part of the course with us which made it that even more special. I had a team four more years after his death, but then took a break and ended up taking up running. After a race one time, a person at a purple tent handed me a TNT brochure and I was already familiar with LLS. I went to an information meeting shortly after and signed up for my first marathon, Rock n Roll San Diego in 2012. Since then, both my husband and I have done multiple events and have raised over $35,000 for Team in Training. Additionally, I lost my sister, Sharon, to renal cancer in 2013. Cancer has taken too much from me for me to not be involved in the fight to cure cancer so I keep going.

4. Finish this sentence, I do “TNTBecause…”
I do TNT because it helps fill the void that cancer has left in my heart.

5. Tell us about the team you’ve formed to run the relay with.
Our team consists of me, my husband-Mike Tucker, my two friends who are sisters Kayla Hughes and Amanda Wood-their father is a multiple myeloma survivor and Jonathan Eckberg-his father (Dave Eckberg) has been battling CCL for the last 14 years. We've all been impacted by blood cancers.

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Did you know?

• BMW Dallas Marathon is the longest running race in the state of Texas
• More than 40 different bands are on the course for your entertainment
• Stay 2 nights at the TNT hotel and you can skip expo lines and have your packet waiting in your hotel room!
• Earn Awesome Fundraising Incentives

Join the Dallas Marathon TNT Team or join the 5 Person Relay!  150 people have already taken the challenge.  Contact Mariel Bongiovanni for more details. 

www.teamintraining.org/ntx

Meet the Coach: Anna Love

Anna Love is one of the marathon coaches for the fall Team In Training (TNT) season in North Texas.  She will be leading the charge for the Northwest Cities/Grapevine marathon team.  Anna has been involved with TNT for a while and is ready to share with her participants all that she's learned about running, the mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and how to help athletes, new and old, accomplish their goals.  Here are some questions for you to get to know Anna better.

1.  What is something special about the Nike Women's 1/2 Marathon San Francisco (a TNT flex event) that people would not know from reading the event brochure?
The Nike Women's Half is a wonderful event that focuses on women.  Men are allowed but not many participate - probably because the finisher's medial is a silver Tiffany's necklace and not a traditional medal.  One thing that folks may not know about Nike is that the names of all registered runners are listed alphabetically on a wall before the race.

2. Tell us about a moment during training that made you realize how special it is to be a part of Team In Training.
During one season, my team all walked the first mile together in silence along a trail where pictures of all the participant's honored heroes were hung.  It was very moving.

3. Team In Training is often called a participant's second family.  Can you give an example of a time you felt like your participants were more like family than a bunch of strangers running together?
I have been participating in TNT since 2003, and have fundraised for 20+ events.  In addition, I am a double Triple Crowner having completed a run, cycle and triathlon - twice.  So I have TNT friends in all three disciplines.  My husband, Larry, lost his battle with cancer in 2011.  I was overwhelmed by how many TNTers were at the viewing and funeral.  The love and support I felt from my TNT family was more than comforting.  

4.  Share a quote that helps to keep you motivated during difficult trainings.
"The miracle isn't that I finished.  The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
    - John Bingham, No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running.

Join Anna this fall season and check out the TNT experience for yourself.  Register yourself or a team today at www.teamintraining.org/ntx.  Go TEAM!

Meet the Coach: Tim Harlow

Tim Harlow, a seasoned marathon coach with Team In Training, is back at it again this fall.  He will be coaching the Dallas marathon team every Saturday morning at White Rock Lake.  Below he shares why there is so much more to Team In Training besides logging training miles.

What is something special about the Chicago Marathon (a TNT flex event) that people would not know from reading the brochure?
The course covers 29 distinctive neighborhoods from the North Side to the South Side.  You really get a flavor of what makes Chicago such a great city.

Tell us how a specific participant inspired you during the last season you coached.
The unstoppable Fabio Borda.  Fabio will be the first to admit that he is not the fastest, but his dedication and determination inspired me to be a better runner and coach.

Tell us about a specific moment during a training that made you realize just how special it is to be part of Team In Training.
During a previous season one of our participants was training virtually while serving in Afghanistan.  When he returned and came to his first training session with us it was a very special moment.

Team In Training is often called a participant's second family. Can you give an specific example of a time you felt like your participants were more like family than a bunch of strangers training together?
Several years ago one of our participants was battling leukemia and became quite sick.  At Christmas time a group of us went to his room in the hospital and sang Christmas carols.  It was and is quite memorable.

Share a quote that helps to keep you motivated during difficult trainings.
"Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up."  - Dean Karnazes

Join Tim this fall season and check out the TNT experience for yourself.  Register yourself or a team today at www.teamintraining.org/ntx.  Go TEAM!

Meet the Coach: Shorty Roberson

Shorty Roberson is a recognizable face around Team In Training (TNT) in North Texas.  This season he is one of the marathon coaches who is dedicated to getting his participants from the couch to the finish line.  Below he answers a couple questions about his coaching style.  Trust us - you won't regret signing up for an event under Shorty's guidance.

How long have you been coaching with TNT and what was your first event?
I have been involved with TNT for about 10 years off and on but this is my first time to coach.  My first event was in Anchorage, Alaska, figuring that if I only did one marathon that race would make for a great memory and story.  It was my first but I have continued to run.

What is your style of coaching?
FUN!  My philosophy is that if you enjoy running and who you you run with, you will keep running!

Some people are intimidated by the idea of training for a full or half marathon.  What advice would you give them?
I was too!  It is doable!  (Is that a word?)  With proper training and sticking to your schedule, you can do it.  And yes, it's a long way but it is such an accomplishment.  YOU CAN DO IT!

Is there an Honored Hero who has left a lasting impact on you?  Who and why?
Every child fighting the battle.  I especially remember when I was a child, a boy who lived across the street had a blood cancer.  He was always sick and never felt like playing.  I thought it wasn't fair or right that he couldn't do what we did.  Cancer has taken too many of our children, friends and family.  Watch out cancer, we are coming to get you!

What is the best kept secret about TNT?
We give you everything you need to train and run a marathon - no need to research how we teach you. And you don't have to make mistakes to learn how, we help you avoid the pitfalls.

What is the best training advice you have ever received?
Follow and trust your training and you will succeed.  To finish is to win.

Inspired by Shorty's words and passion?  Join him this summer season and train for the Rock'n'Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2 Marathon to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or the Wounded Warrior Half Marathon and 10k.  www.teamintraining.org/ntx

Thankful Thursday: Gwen's Mission Moment

Gwen Runyan was 48 years old when she was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2006.  While still reeling with the shock of diagnosis, she was stunned when doctors told her the life expectancy for this type of blood cancer was only five years.  She promptly got her affairs in order and started treatment.  When she went into remission in 2007, she pledged to be more active and started running marathons with Team In Training (TNT).  Below is the mission moment she shared with a TNT team during a recent Saturday morning training:

"I was going to make this mission moment about me because it is my 6th birthday and  I was only suppose to live five years.  Because of this past weekend I realized that I had almost forgotten how terrifying cancer is. You see it's always in the back of our minds and sometimes little things trigger the memories. As a cancer patient, every time you get sick, every time something hurts, we always think the cancer is back.  That is why I want to tell you how important what you are doing is. Not just the fundraising, but the friends we make and knowing someone cares.  As cancer patients go through chemo it very hard to make decisions about our health and the worries about money.  Ask yourself when you are healthy how would I make it if I had to be off work and still pay bills?  How would I handle driving myself to a clinic three hours away if no one was there to help?  How would I manage a $130,000 hospital bill even if I had insurance because its not all covered. Do you sacrifice buying food or not pay the mortgage? These are actual things that caner patients go through on top of trying to get better. This is where you are so very important the money you raise, the time you give or the random phone call you make to ask how someone is doing means so much. When you raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society you are giving a cancer patient a chance to get through the hard parts without worrying about some of the everyday things. When you raise money its not just for a cancer patient it’s also for the family that doesn’t know how they will make it through another day, and it’s for all of you because you don’t know who the next person will be.  If we don’t do it then the help and the money will not be there. So the next time you are fundraising and you think well I don’t like to bother people think how that person you didn’t want to bother would feel if next week it was them and no one cared.  I have not ever had one person tell me not to email them or not to call them.  I have not had one person say that’s not what I want to give money to. It is my experience if they don’t want to they will just not respond for some reason, maybe things are tight right then. In a couple weeks send a reminder. You will be surprised the next time you fundraise they will be the first one to donate. For example, my 80-year-old aunt donated $25 and I haven’t seen her in 30 years. Maybe she knows someone with cancer or maybe she just had a few extra dollars, either way if you keep your site out there on the social networks you will get to your goal. So I just want to thank each and every one of you for what you do. It’s a big responsibility that we all take very seriously. Keep moving my friends!"

Get involved with Team In Training today.  

Register for the Spring Season at www.teamintrainting.org/ntx

Mission Monday: Specialist Thompson

On June 9, 2013 U.S. Army Specialist Warren Thompson completed the Wounded Warrior Half Marathon in Irving as a summer participant with Team In Training (TNT).　 Warren is a familiar face to many TNT participants in North Texas, as he was a marathon coach for several years prior to enlisting in the Army in the fall of 2011 to become a combat medic.　 In January Warren reunited with TNT, but this time as a participant.　 Throughout the summer season (when he didn’t have Army commitments), he made the almost-three-hour commute from Fort Hood in Killeen, where he’s currently stationed, to Grapevine to join his North West Cities teammates for Saturday morning trainings.　 Not only that, he trained for the race wearing his 45-pound Army rucksack to honor his fellow military service members and those wounded in action.　 On race day, Warren represented the Army and TNT well – wearing both his fatigues and his purple race jersey (and his heavy rucksack)!　 We congratulate Warren on a successful race and season with TNT, and extend our sincere gratitude to Specialist Thompson for his service to our country.

Mission Monday: Bruce Cleland at 25th Anniversary Gala

Bruce Cleland (center) with North Texas Team In Training staff
and Team In Training Vice President Chris Fenton (far right)
at the Team In Training 25th Anniversary Gala on June 30, 2013.

When Team In Training (TNT) founder Bruce Cleland visited North Texas for the Team In Training 25th Anniversary Gala, he told the inspiring story of how he and a group of friends created the groundbreaking charity training program in 1988.  He also shared a number of personal photographs with Gala attendees.

Bruce introduced the Gala crowd to his motivation: his young daughter, Georgia.  She was diagnosed with leukemia when she was just two years old. 

Bruce shared the picture above of Georgia during her tough treatment with her doll, which she named Dolly.  When diagnosed, her chances of surviving were 50-50.  Fortunately for the Cleland family, Georgia would be a success story

After Georgia's treatment, Bruce decided to fundraise for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (then The Leukemia Society of America) by recruiting a group of individuals to run in the New York City Marathon.  He set out on a recruiting process of finding not only runners but also corporate backers to fund their effort.  The picture above is the first Team In Training team ever formed.  The picture was taken after one of their first training runs.

After months of training and fundraising, all 38 members of the first Team In Training team crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon.  The group raised $320,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and blood cancer research and created a world-wide phenomenon of endurance charity training programs.

Above is a picture of Bruce finishing the New York City Marathon in honor of Georgia.  The bright tights, a gift from the team inagural TNT team the night before the race, are still around and making appearances.

They spent much of the night of the North Texas Team In Training 25th Anniversary Gala tied around his neck like a cape.

And Georgia Cleland?  She is following in her father's very famous footsteps and helping to raise money for other blood cancer patients.  Georgia, now 28, finished her first TNT event in 2012 and is currently training for the San Francisco Women's Marathon this October.

$100,000 and Still Going Strong

Claire Oliver has been involved with Team in Training since 2003. She was connected with the Society after the passing of her stepfather, Tom Hillary in 2000. 

Claire has worked with LLS as a TNT coach and fundraising participant every year since. Claire has completed 17 fundraising events with the North Texas Chapter, and is currently raising money for America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride in Lake Tahoe. This event will complete her 4th Triple Crown Award. She has raised over $100,000 for LLS in the last 10 years!  

Although Claire only had one connection to the Society and the disease, she has seen the impact of the work of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the difference it makes in the lives of people and families facing blood cancers. Every time Claire thinks she might be competing in her last Team in Training event a new story, patient or family becomes apparent and the fact that there is no cure encourages her to compete one more time.

Claire is relentless for a cure. The difference that is made in the lives of patients and their families pales in comparison to the difference Team in Training has made in her own life.