Causes I Support

Why Cancer Research?

The reason that I chose to raise money for cancer research is simple. Over the years, I have watched several friends and immediate family members battle cancer, with some winning and some losing that battle. I know finding a cure for cancer will not necessarily come tomorrow, but it is a cause worth fighting for to hopefully save lives in the near future. 

Why the V Foundation?

"Don't give up...Don't ever give up!" - Jim Valvano

These words have stuck with me since first hearing them in 1993. I know over the course of the seven days that I am doing World Marathon Challenge, I will be drawing upon these words and from those that live these words every day in the battles they fight against cancer to keep me pushing towards the finish.

At the age of ten, I vividly remember watching Jimmy V's speech when accepting the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award at the first ESPY awards. At the time, I did not know who this man was but he said two things which have stuck with me, over 21 years later:
  • “To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special."
  • “Cancer can take away all my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart and it cannot touch my soul.” 

Who was Jimmy V?

Jimmy V was a college head basketball coach who is most remembered for running up and down the court after improbably leading NC State to the 1983 NCAA championship, seemingly in disbelief and looking for someone to hug. He is also known for his famous ESPY speech which he gave less than 8 weeks before losing his 10 month battle with bone cancer at the age of 47. During his speech, he established The V Foundation to carry out his final dream—to defeat cancer. 

How Much I Raised During the 2015 World Marathon Challenge

 During the 2015 World Marathon Challenge, I became the first American to complete 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days.  Leading up to the WMC it was my goal to raise $7,000 to support cancer research. I successfully reached that goal by raising $7,562 for the V Foundation.