Throughout your Team In Training experience you will hear some incredible stories of individuals who have fought the same blood cancers that we are trying to cure. Some of these stories will come from your teammates, mentors and coaches, some may come from your donors who are so thankful for what you are doing. Then there are some of you who have your own stories and your own remember the reasons as to why you are doing this program. If you would ever like to share your mission moment with the team please feel free to email me and I will include it here. If you would like to briefly speak before one of our group trainings, we would love to have you share. This is a quick story as to why I got involved with TNT.
I was a senior in college at Penn State and had the incredible honor of dancing in Penn State’s Dance Marathon (THON). Some of you may have heard of this before, but in case you haven’t it is a 48 hour dance marathon to support pediatric cancer. It is no-sitting and no-sleeping for that entire time, and it demands both physical and mental strength. At hour 45 when most people were beyond tired a mom took the stage to tell the story of her family. Their son, now seven, had been diagnosed with leukemia and had gone through treatment that all of a sudden made us realize that the pain we felt was nothing compared to what this child had experienced. She gripped the microphone with one hand, holding back tears, and clutched her son’s hand with other, and spoke a message that I will never forget. She said that all of us were living with a purpose, that we were doing something much bigger than ourselves, and that she would forever be grateful for our efforts. She repeated the phrase, slowly, “you are living with a purpose.” I let it settle in and truly realized what she was saying. Meanwhile her son, stood there, with a smile on his face, and I knew that a seven-year-old with a bald head could be the ultimate sign of courage and strength. I thought about that moment when I ran my first marathon in October (Nike) and it helped to push me through the toughest of miles.
By random coincidence I met this woman this past February while doing a THON-related activity. I told her about my involvement with TNT and how it was her words that changed my life, and I sincerely thanked her. Without hesitation she said, “No, thank you.” Her and her husband are also TNT participants and she made me promise that I will always pass along their appreciation to my Teams. So on behalf of a mother who has seen her child go through the worst – THANK YOU!
That story, along with the stories that I have heard throughout TNT are my remember the reasons. Her words are true for all of you as well. Each of you are living with a purpose. That purpose is to reach these amazing personal goals that you may have never believed to be possible, and that purpose is also to cure blood cancers and improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Thank you for taking on this challenge!
Amanda - Team In Training Campaign Coordinator
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