Tri-ing for a Cute Local South Florida Residents Complete Triathlon to Help Cure Cancer
Hollywood, FL (PRWEB) October 9, 2003 -
America Series Triathlon at Walt Disney World on September 28, 2003, to save the lives of cancer patients in Southern Florida. The team is part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma SocietyÂ’s Team in Training (TNT) program which trains beginner to seasoned athletes to complete endurance events; marathons (26.2 miles), half marathons (13.1 miles), century bike ride (100-miles) and Olympic Distance Triathlons like the one at Walt Disney (1-mile swim, 24.8-mile, bike and 6.2-mile run).
“I had a great time during the weekend. The months of training paid off and I felt great throughout the entire triathlon,” said first time triathlete Marina De La Torre, a resident of Aventura. “I’m hooked on Team In Training for life!”
There was more to their training then to make it across the finish line, their participation was to help raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and their mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, HodgkinÂ’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Several members of the team have been personally affected by a blood-related cancer and were ready to give back. Those loved ones served as inspiration during the four months of training the team endured to accomplish their goal to complete the triathlon. Team members that did not have a personal connection to the cause found their motivation from patients affiliated with the Society. These individuals were their Honored Teammates, people that are living with a blood-related cancer and are either in remission or undergoing treatment. Eric Johnson, a 7 year old from Miami, diagnosed with Acute-Lymphocytic Leukemia in 2001 and Kara Desmarais of Ft. Lauderdale diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia in 1999 and is also in remission, served as the Honored Teammates for the group.
Over a four-month period, the local Team In Training group raised over $67,000 for the Southern Florida Chapter of the Society. The teams commitment, motivation and ultimate triumph on event weekend was celebrated with 446 other Team In Training members from around the country, as 30 Chapters from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society converged on Disney. The entire group raised over 1.7 million dollars and counted as one-third of the total athletes participating in the Tri-America Series at Walt Disney World.
Since Team in Training began in 1988, more than 190,000 participants have raised over $430 million through TNT to help the Society advance its mission: to cure leukemia, lymphoma, HodgkinÂ’s disease, and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. For additional TNT information, call the Southern Florida Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at (954) 961-3234 / (305) 937-7444; or visit us at www. teamintraining. org/sfl (http://www. teamintraining. org/sfl).
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The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society®, based in White Plains, NY, is the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. The Society’s mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, the Society has provided more than $320 million for research specifically targeting blood cancers. For additional information, please contact the Society at (800) 955-4572 or visit www. leukemia-lymphoma. org
