Racing to Save Lives

Hi, I'm John Kralik from Pasadena California. Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

Last fall, I joined with the The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. Although I was fifty three years old when I joined the team, and had not run seriously for ten years, I was able to train with the team, and to finish the Napa Valley Marathon, on March 1, 2009. As depicted in the attached photo, it rained the entire morning, but with the support of my teammates, especially Jessi and Raj, I made it to the end. Team in Training Runners raised $460,000 for this event, and my generous donors gave $5,350.

This experience was a good one for me. I was able to feel that I could do something to help stop a disease that had deeply affected people close to me. I learned that there were many more people in my life who had been affected by blood cancers, yet I never knew it. I was asked by the team to do one more run, and to be a mentor to others who are just starting to challenge themselves in this way. I really want to meet this challenge, and am hoping to run in the Nike Women's marathon on October 18, 2009 in San Francisco. Already I have been inspired by the people I've been asked to mentor, who are working to have an effect on a disease that has touched their lives, and to overcome considerable odds in undertaking this challenge.

To those of you who have given before, and given generously, I ask you to try again, while acknolwedging that you may have already given more than your share.

All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission.

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!