You Only Live Twice by Vera Lim



Vera receiving treatment in 2012.



There are many things in life that we never imagine having to do or having to go through. For me, a cancer diagnosis was one of them. After three months of visiting doctors for what was initially thought to be a cough, a cold, bronchitis, pneumonia, and then lingering pneumonia, I was convinced that the chest pains and piercing back pains were good indicators that my illness was not rooted in my respiratory system. Eventually, on January 17, 2012 I was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin's Lymphoma, NOS type. After six months of chemotherapy and one month of radiation therapy, in September of 2012, I was weakly but happily placed in remission.

Even before beginning chemotherapy, I wanted to do something to help other cancer patients. I suppose you could attribute it to the health professional in me, being that it is my career field. I found that many of the trials and tribulations of chemo, or just dealing with cancer period, are usually addressed quite poorly by the medical team. It's not to say that they don't care, but they just don't have the time. This is especially the case at large institutions like Emory Winship: great and incredibly developed, intelligent faculty and staff, terrible wait times and very short sessions with your doctors. These findings led me to begin researching and blogging about my journey, as well as incorporating helpful tips for other cancer patients.

My blog, and my drive to help other cancer patients, was taken to a new level when I joined Team in Training (TNT). One of the other things that most people don't really think about doing in their lifetime is participating in a half-marathon, full-marathon, or a triathlon. This is especially the case when you're just two months out of treatment. I've always been...a unique type of person. After my diagnosis, I incorporated walking into my "treatment". Initially, it was purely to combat the fatigue that would come during the later months of chemotherapy. Looking back, I realize that not only was my walking the "first step" towards my involvement with TNT and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, but also towards a tremendous cause- giving back to the cancer community.

I didn't think that I could do it. I hadn't heard of many cancer survivors doing something like a half-marathon so early into remission. However, the same motivation that led me to start my blog was not forgotten. I would not abandon my drive to give back to the cancer community, because it was a promise that I had made to myself during treatment. So often we are caught up in our own lives and our own battles that we fail to see the bigger picture. We fail to see the others who are also struggling along the way. This past November, I joined my first half-marathon with the Georgia North Fulton-Forsyth TNT team and turned my blog into my running blog.

I had never fundraised before in my life, and I never imagined that I could raise over $3000. For one, I am a young adult and the majority of my friends are "poor" working young adults as well. Somehow (and I thank God for this), the funds were provided and I met my minimum. I never ran this much before in my life, and most definitely not with a chemo-riddled body. My joints are stiffer, I’m slower, recovery takes longer... but my team is awesome...-er.

The reason I love my team is because they are not only super supportive, but they keep me accountable. From the managers to the coaches, the weekly emails, and the Facebook page posts... it all keeps me driven to run. And if I can't run, I walk. Accountability keeps me focused on the cause, and the cause gives me reason to do one more good thing in what I love to call "my second life".



Vera pictured at a social event in October 2012 with friend, Rebecca, one month after being placed in remission!



There is a new slang term "YOLO", that claims “You Only Live Once”. Personally, "YOLT", “You Only Live Twice” is my truth. If you don't make life count the first time, well...for many of us there just may be a second chance.

Go Team.

 Vera Lim is currently fundraising and training with Team in Training for Nike Women's Marathon Half-DC taking place in April 2013.

Survivor checks “run a marathon” off her bucket list. by Amy Cosgrove

Amy pictured at a recent GTS.

In June 2002 (so exactly ten years ago), I was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I initially went to my primary doctor because I thought I had the flu. It took over six weeks and a TON of appointments with different specialists and dozens and dozens of different tests to figure out that I had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Honestly, the ‘not-knowing’ seemed much worse than actually hearing the diagnosis. Plus, I was really sick from the cancer – I had lost a lot of weight for no reason, had terrible night sweats and was horribly exhausted. Without a doubt, though, the worst symptom was the itching. It literally felt like my bones itched, and no lotion, medicine, nothing relieved it. However, my oncologist told me two things that first day that kept me from falling apart when he told me I had cancer. The first was that Hodgkin’s was one of the most treatable cancers of all and that the survival rate for someone (even in Stage IV) was very good. And, second, that the treatment protocol would actually relieve some of the symptoms I was having. And, that while the chemo and radiation would have their own side effects, I could expect to feel a lot better within my first two treatments. Two days after I got my diagnosis, I had my first chemotherapy treatment. And, by the end of the first month, the itching, night sweats and all the other symptoms were gone. And, I had a new hat collection. Ultimately, I had six months of chemotherapy and 21 radiation treatments. Near the end of chemotherapy I had to meet with a bone marrow transplant specialist, but fortunately the chemo and radiation worked and I was able to avoid a transplant. In March 2003, Dr. Saker, my oncologist, told me I was in remission. I’ve gone back every year and am happy to report I’ve been in remission for over 9 years now.

I first got involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society during this time. When I was first diagnosed, I scoured the internet for information. The most helpful source for me was LLS. They had literally every answer I wanted or needed to know. Plus a lot of new things I hadn’t even thought to ask. My oncologist was absolutely amazing, but having a second resource with LLS was so comforting. When I was a few weeks into my chemo treatments, my colleagues at work (I worked for a small division of Philips Electronics at the time) asked me if they could put a team together to participate in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk in my honor. Of course, I was honored and humbled and said yes. Except that they set a very lofty goal to raise $10,000. I thought they were crazy, but really enjoyed the whole spirit of the season. One of my favorite memories from that time was the day that they held the final event at work before the walk. It was a day where they were going to let all of us know how much we’d raised. I walked in that morning to find that everyone (EVERYONE) at work was wearing a hat. (After I lost my hair, I couldn’t get the hang of wigs, so I only wore one once and switched to hats immediately.) Anyway, everyone, including the Division CEO, was wearing a hat that day. It still humbles me and makes me tear up to think about it. When they announced later in the day that they’d raised not $10,000, but $30,000, I was so overwhelmed. We had a blast at the LTN walk. And, again, it’s still one of my favorite memories.

Several years later, the year that I turned 40, I decided it was time to check “run a marathon” off my bucket list. Since I’m a terrible runner, and because I’ve always supported other Team In Training runners, I signed up with the Virtual Team In Training to run the 2010 Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon. I had a blast, and even though I had expected to check it off my list and move on to the next thing, the minute I crossed the finish line, I knew I would do another one. Now, I work for Deloitte Consulting, and Deloitte has TNT teams all over the country at its various locations. And, during the Fall 2012 season, Deloitte expects to cross the million dollar mark with TNT – meaning, Deloitte TNT’ers will have raised a total of more than $1,000,000 by the Fall races for LLS. (We’re at over $950,000 right now.) So, I signed up with the Deloitte Fall team and couldn’t resist the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco. Who can resist getting a Tiffany necklace from a California firefighter after a 26-mile run?

I’m so grateful to be a survivor. I’m grateful to my doctors, my friend, my family. And, I’m so grateful that there is an organization like The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society that works to support people who are in the position I was in 10 years ago, but that also works to fund research to eliminate the need for it.

Amy Reeves Cosgrove is currently training with Team In Training for this Fall's Nike women's Marathon. Amy is a Human Capital Manager with Deloitte Consulting. Originally from Thomasville in South Georgia, she's been in the Atlanta area for more than 20 years.

Heartbreak Ends in Hope by Karen Cole

He falls out of skies.
He falls in love.
He falls snowboarding.
He lands a devastating diagnosis.

Valentine’s Day for many of us meant time spent with our one true love. For Signal Army Warrant Officer Phillip Dieppa four years ago, it was a true nightmare. What started out as a romantic getaway with his wife at a ski resort in West Virginia ended up changing Phillip’s life forever. A snowboarding accident on the eve of Valentine’s Day later resulted in a football-sized spleen on the verge of rupturing, a condition that would have ended his life in minutes. But tests after the accident also revealed even scarier news: Phillip had cancer. 

Phillip was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia and given a prognosis of just a few short years to live. Trained at hurling himself out of airplanes, this Iraq veteran had already endured more than most young people, but nothing prepared him for the battle of his life. Through it all, his wife Natasha served as his protective armor, but she also absorbed staggering heartbreak. Life with Phillip, who was just shy of 22 years old, might only last 3 to 5 more years.

Thankfully almost four years later, after countless bone marrow biopsies and grueling treatments, Valentine’s Day no longer marks the worst time of Phillip’s life. This February it reminds him of a battle fought hard and won, and finally being cancer free. Phillip and Natasha now have a brand new love – life.

Never backing down on a challenge, last summer Phillip joined Team In Training in Augusta. In November, he successfully ran the Savannah Rock 'n' Roll half marathon and raised more than $2,000 for the fight against blood cancers. Not only did he proudly complete his first race, he finished 160th out of 9,000 participants and was the first among TNT runners to cross the finish line!





Phillip with his wife after crossing the finish line in Savannah.

Now, Phillip is a Team In Training Honored Hero for the Augusta market where he serves as inspiration for others training and raising funds for LLS. He said, “I want to prove that cancer is only a temporary obstacle. Being a survivor is like being a marathoner, which is why the Team In Training program means so much to me.”

Phillip’s tenacious spirit is contagious; he gives us all great perspective in the face of any challenge, no matter how large or small:

“There are many unsolved variables in the equation that leads to finishing the half or full marathon. Are you running too fast? Will you hit your goal? Will you walk? Will you quit? Keep in mind there’s only one pace: forward. There is only one goal: the end. As long as you’re moving forward, you’re not quitting. That’s the mentality of a fighter, a soldier and a survivor.”

TNT alumni and survivor, Phillip Dieppa, completed his first event with TNT this past fall in Savannah, GA at the inaugural Savannah Rock 'n' Roll half marathon. Phillip is currently the team's Honored Hero for the Augusta market.

Story written by Karen Cole
Karen is a Public Relations Manager for UPS and has worked there for almost nine years. She completed the ING half marathon (2009) and the Nike Women's marathon (2010) as a TNT participant and served as a mentor in the fall of 2010 while training for and completing the Zooma half marathon. Karen has raised over $5,000 for TNT and now serves on our PR Committee.

Today is Not Just Valentine's Day by Alex Strickland

My name is Alex Strickland, and I am a survivor.When I was four years old, I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Luckily, within six months my wonderful doctors had battled my cancer into remission, but I then went through another two and a half years of maintenance chemo therapy.

At age five, I was admitted to the hospital with a bad case of chicken pox. Normally that wouldn't be so dangerous, but the chemo I was previously on had taken a harsh toll on my immune system. The doctors were unsure I would make it.

While I was in the hospital, I  had the privilege of being an Honored Hero for Team In Training's triathlon team. My best friend, who I went through chemo with, went to the triathlon with me and we cheered as his mother crossed the finish line.

My health did come back, and I'm alive and well today in large part to research funded by organizations like The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  So today I am carrying on what they've done for me. I've signed up for Team In Training myself, and in June I will be completing America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride, a 100 mile ride around Lake Tahoe, raising funds along the way to give back to the cause that I've benefited from.

So why is this post titled "Today is Not Just Valentine's Day" you ask? Well, today is something much bigger for me. February 14, 2000 was the day I took my last chemo treatment. Today I celebrate 12 years of health, 12 years of being a survivor, and 12 years since I put cancer behind me.

Join me in celebrating survivorship and the advances we've made in cancer research by donating $12 to LLS today to give today and tomorrow's kids even better treatments than what I had and to make cancer a thing of the past. That way we can focus on the little things, like Valentine's Day, instead. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

TNT participant and Honored Teammate, Alex Strickland, is currently training and raising funds to participate in America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride in Lake Tahoe this June. Alex is a freshman at North Georgia College & State University studying pre-med and aspires to be a doctor.

Surviving and Thriving by Dan Gennari

Dan and his friend, Joe

It was March 16, 2010, and I was panting like a German Shepherd on a hot July day, but I was standing straight up, at the top of a snow covered mountain in Colorado. Approximately 6 months before, I was seated in a big recliner, a clear tube running from an IV bag into my chest port and wondering if I would ever enjoy skiing the way I always had after 16 doses of bleomycin and other toxic chemo drugs had been pumped into my veins. I had followed my two friends off the top of the chairlift as they unclipped their skis and began hiking to the peak at around 13,000 feet. The climb took about 20 minutes but felt like hours to me. After pausing a few minutes to catch my breath and take a few pictures of the moment, we all clipped back into our bindings and plowed into the powder of the open bowl, and then the glade of trees. It was a liberating experience for me.


That was when I knew, or thought I knew that I could overcome the evils of cancer and continue to live a thriving life. I knew that despite the things I had lost and the pain I had suffered, Hodgkins Lymphoma was only a part of my life and that I still had unlimited potential to succeed in pursuing my dreams. I also knew then, that it was time I responded to one of those numerous purple brochures and postcards hitting my mailbox and trying to recruit me for Team In Training. That day on the mountain renewed my confidence in myself and my body and I was ready to take on the world. Before I would get that chance though, I would have to take on cancer once again.

After only an eight month break, scans revealed that my mediastinal mass was growing aggressively, and my doctor recommended beginning salvage treatment in preparation of a stem cell transplant. I was devastated that I would not get to train for the century ride, because I think I wanted it for myself, as much as I wanted to help the Society. I wanted to validate the feeling of health and recovery that I felt on the mountain in March. I had already started my fundraising, and decided I would go ride with the TNT team on their first cycling ride of the summer, even though I knew it would be my only ride with them.

Although my memory of that afternoon high in the Rockies is as vivid as if it happened yesterday, the summer that followed is a fuzzy patchwork of recollected moments and feelings. I was in and out of the hospital several times, and visited the clinic almost daily from June through August. I finally completed my stem cell transplant process in mid September and checked out of the hospital for the last time.

I got through my first 100 days post transplant with several colds and a brush with pneumonia, and I am starting to feel good again. I started to ride my bike at the tail end of December and joined the TNT Georgia Chapter once again and will be training for the America's Most Beautiful Bicycle Ride in Lake Tahoe this June.

Throughout my 2 year cancer experience, I have received an incredible outpouring of goodwill from friends, colleagues, family, neighbors and even strangers. So, with the fundraising minimums of TNT looming, I am hesitant to once again ask for help from those who have already done so much for me. Instead, I have partnered with The Ski Channel, to premier their documentary, "The Story" in Alpharetta (an Atlanta suburb).

The film will be shown on February 17, at Studio Movie Grill and tickets cost $25.00 per person. The $25.00 ticket gets you admission to the movie, food and drinks, and benefits The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. If you or someone you know are interested in supporting my fundraising for the Society, please link to the ticket sales portal through my blog site, http://www.dangennari.com/. If you cannot attend the film, it is also possible to make a direct TNT donation through that website link.

Dan Gennari is riding with TNT for the 2011 America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride at Lake Tahoe, NV this coming June. Dan, you inspire us and thank you for sharing your story! TNT'ers, please support "The Story" movie screening on February 17th.

New Year Brings New Language by Dani

Dani and her daughter at the 2010 Light The Night Walk

Last year’s language was the jargon of doctors and hospitals. Even the joy of discovering we were once again pregnant was overshadowed by the fear of whether or not my body would be capable of handling the stress. Last year’s language was that of a soldier in the trenches; attempting to lighten the situation by looking up and saying “well at least the sun is out.” My words of last year were my saving grace that created a language that brought me catharsis and human connection.

I am grateful that we have the opportunity to change our voice and create new words, new language, and new life. I look towards this year so differently than I did the last. Last year I was scared of what stood before me. Our future was uncertain. This year I have no more answers than I did last year; nor guarantees of anything. What we have is hope, faith and a little good news to set us on our path.

As the New Year rolled in I was overwhelmed by emotion. I looked to my future and I saw my husband and I growing old together, two little children playing with one another, family dinners, date nights where Mike and I try not to talk about some cute thing the kids did but just cannot seem to refrain, scrapped knees, first bikes, broken bones, broken hearts, family pets, bedtime stories, family vacations, “five more minutes,” road trips, kindergarten, grade school, high school, college visits, caps and gowns, weddings and more babies. I looked to my future and I saw my loving husband by my side, my beautiful children, my family, my friends. I saw hope and joy. I did not see cancer. Over the last year and a half, I often wondered if there would ever be a time when cancer was not a thread that wove its way through my every thought. The moment finally came.

I am sure that in the months and years to come, as PET scans and blood tests are due, there will be a breath of fear that grazes my cheek like a soft breeze. However, in this moment I was not only cancer free but free of cancer. They say it takes the body a year to recover from chemotherapy. They do not pontificate on the time it takes one’s brain or soul to recover from the experience of cancer. This hope for the future was my first real indication the healing has truly begun. The fortuitous thoughts coupled with prenatal hormones were too much for one healing soul to bear and I laughed as the warm tears streamed down my cheeks. Entering the New Year with tears of joy; I can think of no better language.

Happy New Year to you all and I hope your 2011 is filled with the language of love, peace and laughter, thank you for your continued support and love.

Dani, a non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor, was the 2010 Summer triathlon team Honored Hero. Thank you for sharing with us Dani. You are our inspiration!

Ironman 70.3 Augusta: Deke & Brittany Share Their TNT Experience

Deke Copenhaver is the mayor of Augusta and is set to do his first Team In Training event at the 2010 Ironman 70.3 Augusta. Deke draws his inspiration for TNT from two local boys in Augusta who are both dealing with leukemia.


Brittany Banker, a TNT alumnus since running her first event in 2008, is a cancer survivor and single mom. Now also an assistant coach with the TEAM, Brittany shares her recent Ironman Louisville finish experience.

Open Letter to the TNT Fall Season Teams by Mitzi Jiles

Mitzi with her mom and dad at the Nike Women's Marathon

I can't believe that the Nike Women's Marathon is only six weeks away! What a season we have had so far! Friendships have been made, miles have been logged, money has been raised and we are hopefully only going to have cooler temps from here on out!. I just wanted to say with the race so close--Nike Team, it has been my honor to be your honored hero, THANK YOU! The encouragement, tenacity and support you all have graciously bestowed upon me has made me even more appreciative to be apart of the Team In Training family. So, with that, I wanted to share another aspect of why I am apart of TNT.

Yes, being a cancer survivor is a blessing. Yes, research for a cure is important. Yes, it's for those patients still fighting and those who lost their lives. But it's also so much more.

I've flashbacked to when I was sitting in the emergency room over 10 years ago waiting anxiously for my test results. At that moment I wish I could have been alone. I wish it could have just been me, the doctors nurses and anyone else who worked at the hospital, but it wasn't.

As I was in a daze being told terrible, change your life in a second, type of news.... there sat my mom.

Her eyes filled with tears, her heart breaking, her world crumbling...she had to witness the "you have cancer" diagnosis. The fact that she was a mere bystander to the words that I had Leukemia and that I could die in two weeks still haunts me! It's one of the most painful memories I have from my entire experience with cancer.

Parents should NEVER have to hear that the son/daughter they have raised, loved, and nurtured get diagnosed with a deadly disease. No matter how old they are.

When those words "you have cancer" came out of Dr. Morris's mouth I turned to my mom and I smiled. I told her that it was going to be ok. I was going to be fine and she had nothing to worry about. I became the parent. I comforted her. I was watching her watch me and all she saw was my life flashing before her eyes.

Why am I a part of Team In Training? Lance Armstrong said, it's because I have an obligation as a cancer survivor, but for me it's for the parents, siblings, family members, friends and caregivers. I hope there comes a day that they no longer have to hear someone they love is sick.

To all the members of Team In Training Fall events, what you have done this season has not only helped those who are sick but those caregivers who have been just as affected.... so, Thank You, Good Luck and GO TEAM!

Mitzi Jiles has been a part of Team In Training since 2007 and is doing her third TNT event with the 2010 Nike Women's Marathon, her first marathon. As an acute myeloid leukemia survivor for the last nine years, Mitzi is one of our Honored Heroes and motivates us all to continue the fight against cancer. Thank you Mitzi for the inspiration!

What Can Happen in Five Years? by Mallory Chandler

I've always heard the saying that a lot can happen in five years. So I started thinking, what all can happen in five years? Well, it takes nine months for a baby to be born. You can start and finish college; well at least that's the theory anyway. In my case, you can graduate from college, move to a new city, train for and complete two half-marathons and a marathon with Team In Training. Oh yeah and be in the middle of training for your second marathon. It seems like I've done a lot in those five years and to be honest, I'm not sure where the time has gone. However, in five years, I still have not learned how to come to grips with losing a friend to a blood cancer.

You see, I recently celebrated my seventh year off chemo anniversary in April. While going through chemo, I met a lot of kids who were also fighting the terrible c-word. One of the people that I met who was also battling cancer, Todd, ended up becoming my best friend. I met Todd when I was fifteen and he was sixteen. He was diagnosed in May of 2000 and I was diagnosed in September of 2000. We both had ALL (acute lymphocytic leukemia). As Forest Gump would say, we went together like peas and carrots. We were completely opposite but yet, it worked. I was always really feisty (and still am); Todd was more laid back and would roll with the punches. I was an athlete and he was in the band. I was (and still am) an Ole Miss fan; he was an Auburn fan (which in the state of Alabama, things like that can make or break a friendship). The one main thing we had in common was that we each needed a friend, someone who knew what the other was going through and would take each other’s mind off of the reality of what was happening. You see, we didn't need sympathy, we needed normalcy and we provided that for each other.

It took us each about three years to finish chemo. I completed my chemo regiment before graduating high school, but Todd had to enter his freshman year at Auburn still on treatments. I finished with relatively few setbacks. Todd had a harder time. I was lucky enough to have never relapsed. Todd relapsed and needed a bone marrow transplant. He traveled to Boston for his transplant and I remember being a freshman in college and spending my weekends talking to him over the computer so he could have some company, so-to-speak. I remember one Saturday in particular, we talked for twelve straight hours, with only a few breaks to go to the bathroom or get something to eat. Needless to say, he was my best friend and I loved him dearly.

After he finished his transplant, he was allowed to come back to Alabama and start his sophomore year of college. He had decided to transfer to a school closer to his Alabama doctors, so he chose to enroll at Samford University in Birmingham. I was really excited about this, because I too was going to be a sophomore at Samford. That summer, I had to decide to stay at Samford or transfer to another school. I made the painful decision to transfer, but I knew that one day, the stars would finally align and we would find our way back to each other. Todd stayed right on track though and enrolled for the Fall 2004 semester. At least he was right on track until he hit another detour. A few months into the semester, he relapsed for the second time. This was not a good thing. The leukemia started showing up all over his body, not just his blood. I saw him a couple of times during this go-round and we would talk periodically. I just knew he was going to be OK. He would bounce back just like he did the previous two times.

Unfortunately, five years ago today, July 19th, Todd passed away. To say that I was devastated was an understatement. How could this happen? We were Mal and Todd, The Dynamic Chemo Duo. We were supposed to grow old together and conquer the world, because if we could conquer cancer, then the only thing left was the world. But I guess it wasn't in the cards for us. I had to learn a hard lesson in life, that sometimes things don’t go the way you plan.

Sometimes I catch myself wondering what could have been and how different the past five years would have been if he were still around. Last Wednesday, I really started thinking about how much I missed him. I called my mom and she told me the one thing I needed to hear. She told me that Todd would be mad at me for being sad and dwelling on it. And she's right. He would've wanted me to take that pain and sadness and turn it in to something good. I have finally started to realize that just because Todd's not here to conquer the world with me, I can still conquer it. People who find out that I run half-marathons and marathons ask me why I run. I usually tell them that I run because I can. What I should probably say is that I run because Todd can't, but more importantly, because I can and that's what he would want me to do.

Mallory Chandler celebrated her seventh year anniversary as a survivor at the 2010 Country Music Marathon. She is now set to do the 2010 Chicago Marathon with Team In Training. Mallory, thank you for continuing to inspire us all! You, Todd and so many others are why we do what we do.

A Family Affair: Maureen's 20 Years of Being Cancer-Free by Genie Quinn

Flash back to twenty years ago… My daughter Maureen, who was 10 at the time, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After two years of chemo and then three weeks of radiation therapy she was considered in remission. Out of the ashes of that horrible time our family has risen like a phoenix to a new life. From bitterness to joy we have progressed. It seems such a dichotomy that joy can come from sadness but it does. Maureen’s illness changed what was important to our family. We faced some scary times and came out of them stronger and closer.

Fast forward… As the years progressed we stayed a very close family. As a group we were keenly aware of the fragility of life and celebrated each other every chance we could get. Then in 2002, Maureen and her sister Kristen got a card in the mail from Team In Training of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and our family life mission took yet another turn. We found an organization where we could make a difference using our passion to fight cancer. Maureen and Kris completed that marathon, oh so many years ago, and we were all hooked.

Since 2002, as a family, we have completed many TNT events. They include marathons, triathlons, half-Ironman triathlons, and century rides. Also, during this time we have taken the LLS Mission to a new level by speaking at TNT meetings about “the Mission” and how anyone participating in a TNT event can truly make a difference in the lives of cancer patients. We have done “water stop” duties for group training sessions, and lugged change to CoinStar for Pennies for Patients.

However, the jewel in our family’s crown will come this TNT summer season when Maureen, Matt (her husband), my husband Jim, and I will ride together with the cycle team at Lake Tahoe for the America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride to celebrate life, 20 more years of it. Maureen’s sister Kris will be there cheering us on (she is injured and needs recovery time). We will celebrate the love of a family that has gotten us through good times and bad, and in thanksgiving for people who both do events and contribute to events for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. You are making a difference. Maureen is alive today due to research into drugs that could kill cancer cells. That research is still going on thanks to funds raised by Team In Training. As my family and I traverse the many hills of Tahoe, we will be thankful for all that we have and for a mission so special in this world. We are one lucky family to be able to help make a difference, to have found Team In Training, to ride with people who care, and to know people who give from the heart.

One lucky lady, Genie Quinn

Genie Quinn, Jim Quinn, Kris Quinn, Maureen Davidson Quinn and Matt Davidson are all long time Team In Training Georgia Chapter alumni and together have participated in countless events with the Team and raised thousands of dollars for LLS. From all of us at the LLS Georgia Chapter office, we'd like to wish them all a wonderful adventure in Lake Tahoe and we celebrate Maureen's 20 years and counting of being cancer free. Thank you to all of you!

If you're inspired by the Quinns to join the TEAM, visit www.teamintraining.org/ga.

The Difference A Year Makes by Lori Rasmussen

On Tuesday May 11th, I will be attending the Fall Season Kick Off meeting for Team In Training. It will be my second year participating in the Nike Women’s Marathon/Half Marathon event, and my second season as a mentor. This year is stacking up to be another fabulous event. I have already been assigned a great group of mentees and am excited to get started.

But, I also find myself looking back and reflecting on last year. In May 2009, I drove to the kick-off with Nike team co-captain Carol Osterman and new participant Kelly Simmons. Carol, a 30 year leukemia survivor was complaining of some numbness following a spill she took on her bicycle that day. Kelly and I felt she should see a doctor, but ever-stoic Carol wasn’t so sure. No one who saw her that night would have expected anything was wrong. She smiled, laughed and was her usual self. At midnight, I received a call from husband Jim. He had convinced Carol to let him take her to the emergency room. Jim was calling to ask for prayer and let me know that they found "something" in Carol’s brain. That something turned out to be a brain tumor. It was removed and the recovery started.

Fast forward to October 2009…

Kelly and I finished running the half marathon and sat in the TNT tent relaxing with our teammates. A short time later, Carol Osterman crossed the finish line.

Remarkable!

Even more remarkable? She crossed it with Mitzi Jiles, a 34 year old leukemia survivor, and Lori St. Germain, a 29 year old breast cancer survivor. They had run the entire 13.1 miles together, reminding me (and the team) exactly what strength looks like!

Fast forward again…

I will be giving Carol a ride to the kick off meeting on May 11, where I will meet up with fellow mentor Kelly Simmons, and mentee/honored hero Mitzi Jiles—both back for season #2.

Together, we’ll do it all over again!

Lori Rasmussen is a mentor for the 2010 Nike Women's Marathon team. You too can join us for another exciting Fall Season with Team In Training. Come to one of our Kick-Off Meetings below and RSVP here:

Atlanta - Tuesday, May 11th 6:30pm at Holiday Inn Select, 4386 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd.
Alpharetta - Thursday, May 13th 6:30pm at Embassy Suites, 5955 North Point Pkwy.
Augusta - Thursday, May 13th 6:30pm at Marriott Downtown, Two Tenth Street

Boot Scootin' Around Nashville with Mallory by Bruce Scruggs

I don't know if you've heard any of the stories about what happened in Nashville at the Country Music Marathon, but for me, it turned out to be the best race I've had yet!!!

We started the race under a tornado watch, which turned into a warning. We knew there was a chance they would have to cut the race short and take us off of the course early, but we were hopeful we'd get a break in the weather and be able to finish. I was running about two minutes ahead of my pace at mile 5, but knew there were a lot of difficult miles ahead. We were on a part of the course where the front part of the group turns and runs back past the runners behind them. I had been thinking about the inspiration dinner the previous night, and one of our team members, Mallory Chandler, from the Atlanta team who I have become friends with and was running her first marathon in Nashville.

Race day was Mallory's seven year "cancer free" anniversary. I had promised her I would go back out on the course to see her finish after I had finished. At about mile 6, I started thinking about how much more important Mallory finishing was than any time I would finish in, so...........

Somewhere around mile 7, I saw Mallory running the other direction, heading onto the part of the course I had just been on, so I decided to turn around and run with her!!! Long story short, we ran the rest of the race together. IT WAS AMAZING!!! I had more fun and felt reconnected with why I started doing this in the first place. Mallory had a great time!!

I would run ahead and get groups of spectators or cheerleaders to chant her name “Mal or E, Mal or E, Mal or E!”, she would smile and laugh and it helped her get through some of the difficult times in the race. One of the Atlanta coaches joined us around mile 10 and we all finished the race together (they closed the course just around mile 21 due to weather and made us go to the finish line). Mallory was so excited to have finished, and for me, it made what could have been a disappointment in a shortened course into one of the most rewarding things I have ever been a part of.

To top it all off, later that night a group of us went out and I talked the band into letting Mallory and me come up on the stage in front of several hundred people and announce her accomplishment and anniversary!!! We all have different reasons for why we're participating, and even though the event didn't go off like we all wanted, it turned out to be an incredible event nonetheless!! Thank you, Mary, and Ana so much for being part of our team, you have a great family and I'm thankful we've become friends.

Bruce Scruggs first joined Team In Training in 2009 and has quickly racked up several TNT events under his belt. Next up for Bruce, the 2010 Chicago Marathon.

Mallory Chandler celebrated her seventh year anniversary as a survivor at the 2010 Country Music Marathon. She is also set to do the 2010 Chicago Marathon with Team In Training.

Man of Iron

An Atlantan turns a cancer diagnosis into a prescription for hope.

When Atlantan Mike Stashak discovered he had mid-stage Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2007, he had a choice—succumb to despair or cling to his sense of humor. He resolved to do the latter. “When you think about being pickled and microwaved during treatment, sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself,” the 37-year-old marketing consultant and entrepreneur says.

And so he kept a smile on his face throughout chemotherapy and radiation, despite the fact he had to give up his beloved sport of running during the grueling treatment process. Still, he never lost his passion for endurance sports, and in 2009—seven months after he finished chemotherapy—he got a sign it was time he got back in the saddle. “Two friends called me within five minutes of one another saying, ‘Let’s do the Augusta Half Ironman,’” Stashak says.

Though he’d barely resumed his running regimen, Stashak agreed, signing up to train for the race with Team in Training and raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Georgia Chapter. He says the entire training and racing experience was a hugely cathartic one. “I was training for a dream of mine, raising money for something I feel very strongly about and meeting tons of great people, all with their own set of stories and inspiration,” he says. “It was a great summer.”

Stashak raised a total of $5,800, and he’s now signed on to do the St. Anthony’s Olympic-Distance Triathlon this spring. His long-term goal? Stay in excellent shape and eventually raise $100,000 for cancer research. “I think I will be involved with Team in Training for a long time,” he says.

This article appears in the February issue of Competitor Southeast Magazine and is part of the Georgia Multisports Productions 2010 Race Program. Article is published here by permission of Competitor Group LLC.

Team In Training Georgia Chapter is currently recruiting for the Tri Latta Triathlon in Charlotte, NC on June 13, 2010 and the Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon on july 11, 2010. Call the TNT Staff for more information, (404) 720-7842.

Hear My Footsteps by Tricia Hernandez

So, I have been thinking...

...as I often do around New Year's about the year that has just passed and those before. I have been doing most of this thinking during my training runs in this freezing, damp weather. I know it is hard to take the plunge into a cold day for a heart pounding, even exhausting run or walk. But, we each do it for whatever reason drove us to Team In Training.

My partner of 19 years, Kelley, and I just celebrated our third Christmas with our beautiful son, Connor. I was entertained and awed by his level of excitement this year. When I asked him what he liked best about Christmas, he said "our tree". A tree he helped decorate for two hours and took great pride in. We all have these wonderful memories with family and friends this time of year.

As I thought about this during a training run the other night, tears came to my eyes. When I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2002, I wasn't sure I would ever be celebrating Christmas with my three year old child. I realized what a gift it was to enjoy each moment with him, my family, my friends, and you.

I think about all of you as I run too. When I was training for Marine Corps last summer; my team was an important key to my success. Whether they were running beside me or waiting for me at the finish. I never felt alone. It's exactly the kind of support that not only let me survive cancer, but let me thrive enough to be running with you now.

I watched the link that Jenn sent to us about Ethan, from Survivor. It showed that he just got a call about his cancer in remission. I remember that moment vividly as I do the moment I was diagnosed. I was sitting in a room waiting to be called for my radiation treatment after seven long months of chemotherapy and radiation when the physician called me to his office. After reviewing my PET scan, the treatment was no longer necessary. I was in remission. I didn't have cancer anymore. That was six years ago.

It is because of every step you take that I survive; that others survive-your friends, your family members, your coworkers-whoever brought you to Team In Training. Please know that I am right there with you, thanking you, thrilled that you are taking every step.

Hear my footsteps next to yours when you can hardly pick up your feet. Hear my footsteps next to yours when you take that first step into the cold. Hear my footsteps next to you each time you have a doubt...You are my hero.

Tricia Hernandez is the Honored Hero for the 2010 Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon TEAM. In the photo above, that's Tricia in the middle at the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon along with fellow alumnus, Elizabeth Lester and TNT coach, Barb Stinson.

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.