- Member Since: Oct 23, 2007
- Last Logged In: Feb 9, 2010 11:28 AM
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Biography:
The first year I joined Team in Training to raise money by running the 26.2 run. It was because my sister Karan called me and let me know she had Leukemia, I did not know what to do to help; I tried to become a donor but was not able to, then I learned about Team In Training (TNT) and how they raise money to help people with leukemia and the research to fined a cure, then I joined. And it was painful but with the help of the coaches and prayers from friends I made it and raised $ 2,500
Then the second year I was not going to do it again, but Karan had a fall back so I jump on a flight back home to see her on 17 June 2006 and I was able to see her smile and laugh again, then she ask me if I was going to do it again. I promised I would and she smile, laugh and told me she would watch this time; 9 hours later on 18 June 2006 at 0300 Leukemia killed my sister. I watched my Mom cry as she tried to think of how to stop this and Dad hands shake as he saw his daughter dying before him and there was nothing he could do.
I thought about my little girl and what she means to me, I stop thinking about myself and I felt this pain that my dad must have been feeling; it was the worst thing I could ever feel or think of happening (this was his baby girl) and for this to happen on Fathers day. I could not say a word, I could stop their pain, and I couldn’t do anything.
She finally got to see me run with all the angels in heaven. They must have had a good laugh a man weighing over 243 lb running 26.2 miles, but I made it again this time with the help of my cousin Carla and her daughter two angels from Michigan, that came down and work at the marathon. Again the pain I made it and we raised $3000.00 with the help allot of people giving what ever they could.
In 2007 year I again found myself with a work schedule that would not let me run it, so I said (I can’t). Then one night while I was running and thinking about Karan and I thought I heard something, it was like god was talking to me. It said Karan is gone, But what about the others? All the others out there with blood cancer are you going to not do something for them, what about the little kids and fathers and mothers; I stopped and went back to my shop.
I called my manager and he told me we would work it out so I could have the time off without pay to run for the others and he agreed to give me this time. My Friends helped me raised over $5000.00.in a Marathon in 2008.
Now 2009 is here and I checked my work schedule and will be running a Alaska Marathon in raising funds to eradicate Blood cancer.
It is not about the running, I am not a world class runner I am a 44 year old retired Air Force NCO and most of my team are just like you. They never thought they could do this but year after year I see meet people that could not walk a mile. At the end of the training go 26.2 with a smile and tears in their eyes. Because it is not about us it is about raising money to save someone else life. Maybe your Mother, Father, Son, Daughter, Sister, Brother, Wife, Husband or maybe even you.
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Zip Code:
32940
