Teams are made up of individuals. Without them, there is no team.

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

As most of you know, I lost my amazing father, Bill Gallutia, five years ago to bladder cancer. As many of you also know, I have always claimed to hate exercise, but have continually tried different exercise plans, hoping something would stick. As I was listening to the radio a few weeks ago, I heard an advertisement about The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team in Training (TNT). The ad was promoting and recruiting for the local LLS chapter, emphasizing the opportunity to train with others, to be trained by a coach and to train to beat cancer.

Over the next few days, I couldn’t get what I heard out of my mind, so I decided to attend an informational meeting to find out more. Encouraged to tell my story as to why I was at the meeting, I mentioned losing my father to cancer. It wasn’t leukemia or lymphoma that took his life, but it was still cancer. When the TNT coordinator mentioned that LLS’ research also benefits cancers other than Leukemia and Lymphoma, I decided that I was in the right place!

As a result, I have made a commitment to do two things -- raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in an effort to beat cancer and train with our local Team in Training for a half marathon in January, 2012. Over the next 3 months, I will be training and raising funds for research leading to a cure for this disease that claims nearly 1,200 victims a week.

I will run in honor of my father, a cancer victim.

It is estimated that leukemia and its related cancers will strike over 100,000 Americans this year. Although the cause of leukemia remains unknown, the effectiveness of recently developed treatment methods and steady advances in research bring us closer to finding the cause and probable cure.

My goal is to raise $3,500. Seventy-five percent of every dollar I raise will directly support research for a cure and provide financial assistance to families in our country struggling with the financial burden of treatment. One hundred percent of the funds I raise above $3,500 will go directly to LLS.

I have made a commitment to run this marathon and bring us 13.1 miles closer to providing hope, peace and freedom to individuals battling blood cancer. I am hopeful you will join me in the fight.