The story: In the wake of a terminal diagnosis, Nicholas Colleluori (Hofstra University) at the age of 19 took a public stand against blood cancer by starting the HEADstrong Foundation. The organization rooted in Philadelphia has gained national interest for their commitment to advocating, fundraising and supporting programs to improve the quality of life for those affected by blood cancer and those working towards eliminating it.

I am both honored and excited to have been asked to speak at this year’s gala. The cause has gained national recognition and the gala itself is going to be huge. The timing of the invitation is perfect. The evening will be hosted by Comcast’s Gregg Murphy, who is featuring me on their show “Net Impact” which will air in March just prior to the Gala.

For more on the HEADstrong foundation, the Gala, and many of their other opportunities to become involved, visit them at www.headstrongfoundation.org

I just want to take a few minutes and mention a few quick updates that have unfolded within the last few weeks. Things have been busy, but good busy.  There is a show on Comcast Sportsnet called “Net Impact” that has expressed an interest in telling my story. The show features human interest stories about people and their journey above and beyond sport. I met with show host Gregg Murphy and his camera guy Brian  last week and we shot interviews as well as some training in the pool. The cool thing was that I got to wear a head mounted underwater mini camera. I can’t wait to see how that footage turns out. We will film one or two more sessions over the next couple of weeks and the show should air in March on Comcast Sportsnet. Gregg is a great guy and I am looking forward to our next session. I will keep people posted.

We shot those Net Impact interviews and swim footage at the YMCA in Delaware County PA where I am a longtime member and board member. As it turns out, Gregg Murphy is also on the board of his local YMCA in Gloucester County New Jersey. A couple of days after we filmed, Gregg approached me about being their keynote speaker for the 100 year anniversary celebration of their YMCA. It took me about 6 seconds to think about my answer, after which I responded with an enthusiastic, “I would love to do it. Count me in. And THANKS”. That will be in March and details are still pending. It should be a nice night. And I always welcome the opportunity to connect and network when it comes to the YMCA and all of the good that organization does.

Registration is now OPEN for the Brad Schoener Memorial 5K and Music Marathon which will be held on May 19th. I am directing this race again and hope to treat you all to some new surprises this year – as soon as I figure out what they will be.

I am also working with the legendary and renown band Chico’s Vibe in helping them “orchestrate” a new 5K which will benefit hunger relief. This is still a work in progress and nothing is definitive yet but November 17th, 2012 in Havertown PA is looking very probable. Complete details will be announced once they are confirmed. Expect a FUN event, with registration and timing handled by Tim Krueger’s Run the Day. The band’s front man Dennis Chiccino, and I go back to the mid 1980’s and if the first planning meeting is any indication, this is going to be one heck of a fun trip.

Other than that, not too much is “new”. Training is going well. I feel good. Team in Training is in full swing. Our St. Anthony’s triathlon team is just starting to hit their stride and we started recruitment for the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon this week. Summer will be here before you know it.

Also, to help get you over the winter hump, please don’t forget to visit this year’s Endurance Sports Expo. The Philly area local event will again be held at the Oaks (Pennsylvania) Convention Center the weekend of February 25th and 26th.  Other locations have also been booked in the region. Be sure to visit www.endurancesportsexpo.com for complete details.

I once again can walk above the clouds with clarity and confidence . On January 23rd I had my semi-annual routine blood work with my oncologist. The weeks leading into these appointments are always filled with angst and anxiety for me. I always find myself asking all of the wrong “what if” questions. But I am happy to report that the results were spot on perfect once again. I had a great appointment and chat with my oncologist.

Also, I have just signed on to work with Philly Health Watch and am very much looking forward to this partnership. My regular monthly contribution will probably be centered around multisport racing and training. BUT I will also have the platform to be able to interview and feature some of the amazing individuals and organizations that I am connected to. And will be able to do so via a couple of different media channels. More very soon on this!

New York, January 7, 2011 – Georgia Cleland, now 28, is the little girl who helped spawn an entire running for charity movement – the largest of its kind in the world. A leukemia patient at age 2, when the chance of survival was just 55 percent, today she ran her first half-marathon with Team In Training, the organization her father founded in her honor 23 years ago.  She ran the Walt Disney World half-marathon.  Thanks to her father Bruce Cleland’s imagination, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training has had a remarkable influence on the world of marathon running and on blood cancer research.

Click here to read this article in its entirety.

Conshohocken, PA (January 3, 2012) – The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team In Training (TNT), the world’s largest and most successful charity endurance sports training program, has been voted Best Charity Training Program in the 2011 Best of Competitor magazine poll.

The winners were chosen by votes from Competitor magazine readers. The results of the annual reader survey will be published in the January 2012 issue of the magazine.

TNT prepares participants to complete a marathon, half marathon, triathlon, or a 100-mile century bikes ride. Participants receive four to five months of training with certified coaches, great choices on travel destinations and all travel arrangements, clinics on nutrition, hydration, injury prevention and the camaraderie of a TEAM. In return, participants raise funds to advance blood cancer research and provide services for patients and their families.

Since its inception in 1988 more than a half a million participants have raised more than $1.2 billion to support the LLS mission to cure blood cancers and improve the quality of lives of patients and their families.

“Competitor magazine is a leading voice in endurance sports, and its readers have their fingers on the pulse of what programs and services provide the highest caliber of training and the best overall experience for participants,” said Kaitlin McCartan, Campaign Director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter. “We are truly honored that Competitor’s  readers have voted Team In Training as their favorite program.”

Teams are now forming for the summer season, which includes St. Luke’s Half Marathon, Lake Tahoe Century Bike Ride, Rock “n” Roll Marathon and Half Marathon in San Diego, Lake Placid Marathon and Half, and Philadelphia Triathlon. For additional information, please call the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter at (610) 238-0368; or visit www.teamintraining.org/epa.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
 
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. LLS mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada including the Eastern Pennsylvania chapter. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

So here is my offer and our chance to all do something from the comfort of wherever you are. Effective today 100% of the proceeds received from both the paperback and download versions of this book will be split evenly between two charities which are meaningful to Ethan and I.

50% will go to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and 50% will go to Ethan’s charity Grassroot Soccer. Please pass this around to your friends.

Please click below to make a difference:

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The irony in all of it is he has been training for this weekend’s NYC marathon where I will be joining him and racing for his charity; Grassroot Soccer. Ethan will also be guiding a blind athlete that we have running with our team. Check that. Not just any “blind athlete”, but world class and world champion  triathlete Aaron Scheidies. 

All systems were GO. So of course in true warrior fashion, he will still race. Perhaps not as well as he had hoped, but he’ll get it done. Someone commented that this news is “sad”. I don’t feel “sad” right now. I feel really pissed off and offended if that makes sense. But not “sad”.

In talking to Ethan yesterday, I offered the following:

Call me crazy but I feel A LOT of really positive energy around the race and your situation. Think about the dynamic…. Leading a blind athlete…. Going though treatment …. Running with another survivor … (yours truly)….. raising money for GRS and saving lives…. leading by example ….There is just so much karma and POWER in all of this….

The Hodgkins Lymphoma is just showing its ignorance by rearing its ugly head. It’s going to get chewed up.

I’ll post some updates once we get to NY on Friday. I will see Ethan and our crew for dinner Saturday night and we will all ride a team bus to the start and have our own little colony to hang out and enjoy each other’s company prior to the start.

My goal is to just hang out with Ethan during the race and make it a MISSION against cancer.

More to come.

Below is an email from Ethan that went out to our marathon team just today:

To All My Favorite GRS Marathoners,

The past 2 years as a cancer survivor have been super exciting – a trip to South Africa for the World Cup, a journey around the world on The Amazing Race, a new TV series with Jenna called Everyday Health, and running of the NYC Marathon for Grassroot Soccer. In fact, working with GRS has always been the MOST rewarding part my life.

Having said that, I have some not-so-exciting news. On September 14^th, after a routine visit to the oncologist, they found evidence of canzer. I relapsed. My f’ing canzer is back.

I have Hodgkins Lymphoma that is localized to the chest and lung area. The docs are very hopeful and are treating this with curable intent.

I’m on a super new drug called SGN-35 which was passed by the FDA on September 24,2011. SGN-35 is considered a “Smart Therapy” because it will only target the cancerous cells in my body.  Therefore, the side effects are not as bad.  Most importantly, I will not lose my jew-fro again, and that’s really my biggest concern…not this stupid cancer stuff. HA!! My first treatment was on October 18^th and I’m feeling ok.

Here’s the yucky part. Once my cancer is in remission, I will have to endure another stem cell transplant. Hola Mr. Bubble Boy!!!!  This time it will be an Allogenic Stem Cell Transplant (versus and Autologus stem cell), which means I will use another human’s stems cells and I WILL lose my hair. I will be in the “bubble” for about 40-50 days with a hard-core intensive 120-day recovery period once I’m released.

So that’s the deal….

I think the general perception of cancer is that there are winners and losers. You either beat cancer and win, or lose to cancer and die. There is no in between. The reality of my situation is that I did everything in my power to beat cancer and I did. But it came back. And that’s ok too. I’m not a failure. There are millions of people out there living with cancer and living with the reality that this horrible disease may come back.

This morning, People Magazine made this announcement, but I wanted to send a personal note to everyone. I’m going public because I hope the details of my life have the power to educate and heal others. Or perhaps enable them to connect with me in a way that helps make their journey more manageable. I’m right there with them…living and fighting each day of my life bringing awareness to this global pandemic. It’s who I am, It’s what I represent. I stand up for what I believe in.

I’m still running the NYC marathon for GRS even though I have cancer and have had my first chemo treatment.  It’s that important to me. The docs think I’m crazy, but I want to send a message of hope and let people know that cancer will not slow me down. And it doesn’t have to slow anyone else down either. I will to charge forward and continue to do the things I love, like work with GRS.

I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a horrible diagnosis and I want to do everything in my power to make sure no one else will have to go through the same crap that I’m going through…whatever that may be, cancer or HIV.

I can’t wait to see everyone this weekend and have some fun. It’s an honor to be part of something so much bigger than myself.

Who’s ready to outrun cancer and stomp out AIDS?  That’s what I thought…me too!

See you at the finish line,

Ethan

I actually love hearing from those people. And I love signing them up and watching them transform themselves into triathletes and crossing the finish line a new person. I sent the below email to one such prospect. My comments are pretty universal so I thought I would share with everyone.

Hi,

I am always happy to talk about the sport, and the program. And take an even greater and vested interest in those that might be a little apprehensive about some aspect of the event. I understand those feelings. I also know that we take pride in working with people to overcome those feelings. I have seen so many people come though the program with slight fears or concerns. I can’t tell you how good it feels for me to watch them grow from week to week and gain a little more confidence and then share with them that feeling of crossing the finish line.

Being a little nervous is an even BIGGER reason to sign up. The benefits that you will derive through this journey are far greater than the sport of triathlon. You will develop a sense of self and confidence that will trickle down to all aspects of your life. I have found that many too many people live their lives in a relatively small comfort zone. And they live their lives and all is “just fine”. BUT sometimes we need more. Sometimes, “just fine” isn’t enough. Sometimes we need to push the edges of that comfort zone and when we do, we discover a completely different world, and a side of ourselves that we never knew existed.

This  triathlon program has three dedicated coaches, all of whom feel exactly the way I do. We take pride in making you into a triathlete.

Don’t do this for any other reason, besides wanting to grow as a person.

Feel free to ask me anything you like!

Hope to see you  at Kick Off

Steve

www.teamintraining.org

Read more …

Imerman Angels carefully matches and individually pairs a person touched by cancer (a cancer fighter or survivor) with someone who has fought and survived the same type of cancer (a Mentor Angel). Cancer caregivers (spouses, parents, children and other family and friends of fighters) also receive 1-on-1 connections with other caregivers and survivors. These 1-on-1 relationships inspire hope and offer the chance to ask personal questions and receive support from someone who is uniquely familiar with the experience. The service is absolutely free and helps anyone touched by any type of cancer, at any cancer stage level, at any age, living anywhere in the world.

Learn more at imermanangels.org

A true story of how one triathlete copes with his Leukemia diagnosis and uses his training as a weapon against cancer. Journey with him as he goes from diagnosis, through chemotherapy treatment, and across the finish line of an ultra distance triathlon in 7 short months with his family by his side. Portion of proceeds to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

My other titles are presently being coverted as well.

Additionally, all four of my previously released titles: My New Race, The Inner Triathlete, 50 Fit Tips, and In Search of Center are currently being converted to ebook format and will be available through the ereader channels in the comming weeks. Of course the print version and PFD downloads will remain available through Amazon and directly from the publisher as well. More to follow. Stay tuned.