LOCAL SOUTH FLORIDA MAN TAKES ON THE ENDURANCE TEST OF A LIFETIME AND WINS Joe Scott battles for his life and the finish line
After beating cancer, a South Florida man takes it upon himself to help fundraise money through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program.
(PRWEB) October 24, 2003
Staring cancer straight in the face, Joe Scott did not lose faith. With his belief in God, support of his family and friends and his own inner-will, Scott took on the battle of HodgkinÂ’s Lymphoma, a blood cancer that results in a swelling of the lymph nodes, and ultimately won.
“A year of my life was filled with chemotherapy and radiation treatments, hospital visits, medical tests, fatigue, doctor visits, vomiting and other digestive track problems, lost hair, and a lot of pain,” said Scott, describing his year-long battle. “Cancer treatments in 1991 were an endurance contest between the patient and the cancer, ending with the death of the loser.”
Taking advantage of his extended time, Scott began involving himself in local 5K races to raise money for cancer research. After feeling the need to do something bigger, he took on another endurance challenge, Team in Training, a fundraising arm of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society that trains beginner to seasoned athletes for endurance events such as marathons (26.2 miles), half-marathons (13.1 miles), triathlons, and century bike rides (100 miles). In August of 2002, Scott began to train for the Walt Disney World Marathon the following January, even as doubts were lingering in his mind.
“The training started out easy and got tougher. But the folks at Team in Training were great coaches. They really prepared me for the challenge. The weekly group training kept me dedicated and focused on marathon training.”
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ScottÂ’s goal was not merely to train for the marathon but to fundraise and give back to the Society throughout his commitment. Scott used his personal struggle as an opportunity to share with friends and family and give them the chance to fight these deadly cancers. He wrote letters that went in to detail about his fight with HodgkinÂ’s Lymphoma and his victory against the disease. Through his efforts, Scott raised a total of $3439.40 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma SocietyÂ’s mission to find a cure for blood related cancers.
Once Scott completed his goal and conquered the grueling 26.2-mile course in MickeyÂ’s backyard, he chose to continue his mission. A short three weeks later he added the inaugural year of the Miami Marathon to his repertoire and took home a medal from the 13.1-mile half-marathon.
Today, ScottÂ’s spirits and outlook are high as he is in full remission and ready to take on the challenge, once again, to complete two endurance events in less than a month. He is not only training for the Walt Disney World Marathon on January 11, 2004 and the Miami Marathon on February 1, 2004 he is also a Team Captain for the South Miami training site of Team in Training.
His advice for those contemplating running a marathon? “If a cancer survivor can do a marathon, imagine what you can do!”
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