Meet the Coach: Val Gray

If you've been at White Rock Lake on a Saturday morning and have heard an enthusiastic "Go TEAM" as you run by a group of runners, you've probably "met" Val Gray.  She is one of the Dallas Marathon coaches this season and a staple on some of Dallas' most frequented running trails.  Read below as you get to know the woman behind the inspirational Saturday morning cheering.

What is something special about the Walt Disney World Half Marathon that people would not know from reading the event brochure?
The fun that you will have going through the theme parks will bring a smile to your face and it will not feel like a race.  The support of the people cheering you on is also just amazing.

Tell us about how a specific participant inspired you during the last season you coached. 
The fall season trains during the hot summer months.  The participants inspired me by showing up for trainings no matter how hot it was outside.  Our team had collected money throughout the season for one lucky participant to win the entry pot to go toward their fundraising account.  The participant who won the pot decided to donate it to my Disney fundraising efforts instead of keeping it for their own fundraising efforts.

Tell us about a specific moment during training that made you realize just how special it is to be a part of Team In Training.
Once I had to run 13 training miles in the rain and Coach Joe was there until the end and greeted me with a big umbrella.  Another time I suffered a leg cramp during a training and I was able to call Coach Joe to come and pick me up.

Share a quote that helps to keep you motivated during difficult trainings.
When I feel that I want to give up, my mantra is "I think I can, I think I can and then when I am at the end I say to myself, 'I did it!'"

Join Val and the Team In Training family for an event this fall.  Check out the events currently being listed and get registered by visiting www.teamintraining.org/ntx

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