Mona El-Tawil runs for a cause It all started when I was having dinner with friends in northern California in July last year. Their son, Joe Salama, was telling me how he completed three marathons and what a thrilling experience it was. To complete even a half marathon (13.1 miles) was one of my secret dreams, but one I thought I would never be able to make come true. I asked Joe to tell me all about his experience, and he told me to contact an organisation called Team in Training to find out all about it. That evening I logged on to the Team in Training (TNT) website. Luckily, they were meeting the following week in the local high school in Palo Alto, just a few minutes from where I live. TNT is part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), and their objective is to train people in endurance sports to participate in an event such as a marathon or bike race or triathletic event (where you swim, bike and then run a marathon). In return you raise money for LLS, 25 per cent of which goes to your training, travel and accommodations in the event of your choice. The rest goes directly to cancer research. I was hooked, especially as the event that I wanted, the Santa Barbara Half Marathon, was scheduled for 1 November. Santa Barbara, a five-hour drive from Palo Alto, is a beautiful town in which I have fond memories (my oldest son graduated from there). I signed up that very evening and was determined to do my best in fund raising and in training for such an event, keeping in mind that the most I had ever run was half an hour on a treadmill and with a lot of effort, too. Training was to start in August so I decided to devote the remaining two weeks to try to get my fund raising out of the way. I was required to raise $2,700. Different events have different amounts, depending on the event and the location. I spent a long time working on the letter that I was going to send to my friends and acquaintances, explaining to them why I am running and asking them for a donation. I had one basic reason for running: my mother was suffering from ovarian cancer, and as she underwent chemotherapy and fought this insidious disease, I was willing to do everything in my power to help find a cure. As the training started, I realised that it was going to be a lot of work in spite of the fact that I am used to regular exercise. We met once a week at the Stanford track (where such greats as Carl Lewis used to practice), and the coaches took us through our paces. I felt I was training for the Olympics, not a mere half marathon. The organisation of TNT is amazing -- from coaches and team captains to mentors and support personnel, many of them volunteers, but all of them taking their work very seriously. After the first month we started serious running, twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays. The Saturday runs started getting longer and longer as we progressed through the season. TNT took us to the most beautiful trails and locations; there was one memorable run through Golden Gate Park and then along the ocean. Throughout the run we would find tables manned by TNT people offering us water, juice and snacks and cheering us on. Finally the big day came. I felt I was as ready as I could be. My family was very excited. They had been supporting me all along and without my mother's pride in me and my sister's faith and constant encouragement I would never have been able to continue. My husband and sons came from Egypt just in time to drive with us to Santa Barbara, and we drove down in a convoy. My sister and I were in one car and the rest of the family in a mini-van. Even though the weather was terrible -- rain, thunder and lightning -- my sister insisted on driving so that I would be rested the following day for the big run. When we arrived in Santa Barbara she drove me along the route of the race so that I would be prepared. The rain did not stop but that did not worry me. TNT had prepared us in case of rain. We were to wear big garbage bags on our clothes. After we arrived in Santa Barbara, my family went with me to a big pasta party hosted by TNT. There we got a chance to meet with other TNT participants who were close to 500 in number from across the US. I was glad my family was with me so they could get a feel for the TNT organisation. I could hardly sleep that night although we were to meet at 6.00am. The bus took us to the starting point. It was still overcast and cold but I was prepared with garbage bag, water bottle and everything else. Fortunately, by the time the race started at 8.00 the sky was clear and there was no trace of rain. My family was there to see me off at the starting line. I stood in the middle of the racers; our coaches often said, "We don't want to be up front with the Kenyans." Towards the end of the race, just when I thought I could not continue, I heard the honking of a car. Looking up, I found my son along with all the family heading for the finish line. We waved and waved, and that was the push I needed to finish the remaining couple of miles. The TNT people, too, were constantly cheering us on. In the last quarter-mile my team captain and mentor ran with me, encouraging me on. On the last stretch I was on my own, and I mustered all my strength to finish. I fulfilled my dream, and raised much more than my minimum -- almost four times as much -- thanks to the unfailing support of my family and friends. It might be a drop in the ocean but I strongly believe that every drop counts and I am confident that with ongoing research we will eradicate cancer in our lifetime.
