Mallory's Celebrating 7 Years as a Survivor by Lori Rasmussen

I think Mallory Chandler is pretty awesome. Anyone who knows me is probably rolling their eyes and thinking, “Lori, you think most everyone is awesome.” You’re right! I do! But let me tell you a little more and let’s see if maybe you agree with me.

Mallory is planning to run her first full marathon in April of this year. She is training with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training group and trying to raise $2000 to help fight blood cancer. Even more spectacular is the date of this particular event. You see, Mallory is running The Country Music Marathon in Nashville Tennessee to help raise money to fight blood cancer on the 7th anniversary of completing chemotherapy for leukemia.

At 24, Mallory has faced more obstacles, and encountered more sadness than people twice her age. She’s suffered pain, fear, anger, and sadness as she battled leukemia. She made friends with fellow patients and watched them die. She’s wondered, “why me?” and yet lived on. As a parent of kids close to her age, I wept thinking of her parents watching their “baby” face such big things. There is a lot to her story…details she can tell you that make you laugh and cry within seconds. I can’t even begin to do justice to it, but I can say this—she is amazing and she is awesome!

Before being diagnosed with leukemia, she ran on the cross country team. She was pretty decent too—fast enough to be on the varsity team as a freshman! Running today can be disappointing to her. She doesn’t have her speed any more. That makes it hard to get out there and run. But she keeps going and is making good things happen from the bad. When I asked her why she ran, she didn’t sugar coat it: “I run because I can. And I run for my friends who didn’t make it.”

So, maybe I overdo it with my use of superlatives such as amazing and awesome, but once in awhile, I meet someone who is all those things and more. I think Mallory is one of those people.
Run on, Mallory. You are making things happen!

Support Mallory as she trains for the Country Music Marathon: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/cmc10/mchandler

Lori Rasmussen has been an enthusiastic TNT participant since 2007. She has participated in three half-marathons and is currently planning to attempt her first full marathon with TNT at the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon TEAM.