No excuses

From RunnersWorld.com -



Emily LeVan Age: 35
Qualifying Time: 2:37:01

On November 5, 2007, just a few hours after LeVan registered for the Olympic Trials, her family physician called with devastating news: LeVan's daughter, Maddie, then 3, had leukemia.

LeVan, her husband, Brad Johnson, and Maddie left their home in Wiscasset, Maine, for Barbara Bush Children's Hospital in Portland, where for the next 10 days, doctors and nurses worked to raise Maddie's blood counts high enough for her to begin chemotherapy.

LeVan ran a few times in Portland, but in those early, anguished days, she figured the Trials were out of the question. Brad and Maddie had other ideas. They had been talking about "Mom's big race" for a while, and they decided as a family that LeVan would keep training.

"I don't think I needed a lot of convincing," she says, "but I did need to know that everyone was on board. Training requires a lot of sacrifice from them, and I didn't want to compromise Maddie's treatment." Now the family fits in Maddie's weekly chemo appointments around their already jam-packed schedule.

LeVan works 12 hours a week as an emergency-room nurse, and they live on a small organic farm, where Brad works full-time. Maddie is responding well to the treatment and returned to preschool in January.

The cure rate for her form of the disease is 85 to 90 percent, and if all goes well, she'll be healthy again after two to three years of chemo. LeVan has launched a Web site (twotrials.org) to raise money for childhood cancer treatment and track both their journeys. She's running 90 miles a week, knowing that her marathon in April is the easier one by far.

Follow her lead: "It's hard to get out the door some mornings after a night of little sleep. But I feel energized physically and mentally afterward, and I am much better prepared to attack the day."

I was going to make some sort of sarcastic comment making an excuse about why I couldn't click to view this post but instead I'm going to be sensible and say thank you for sharing it

it!
thanks for sharing..

And now I will definitely be hitting the gym after work. Thank you.

I don't like excuses. What motivation!

From RunnersWorld.com -



Emily LeVan Age: 35
Qualifying Time: 2:37:01

On November 5, 2007, just a few hours after LeVan registered for the Olympic Trials, her family physician called with devastating news: LeVan's daughter, Maddie, then 3, had leukemia.

LeVan, her husband, Brad Johnson, and Maddie left their home in Wiscasset, Maine, for Barbara Bush Children's Hospital in Portland, where for the next 10 days, doctors and nurses worked to raise Maddie's blood counts high enough for her to begin chemotherapy.

LeVan ran a few times in Portland, but in those early, anguished days, she figured the Trials were out of the question. Brad and Maddie had other ideas. They had been talking about "Mom's big race" for a while, and they decided as a family that LeVan would keep training.

"I don't think I needed a lot of convincing," she says, "but I did need to know that everyone was on board. Training requires a lot of sacrifice from them, and I didn't want to compromise Maddie's treatment." Now the family fits in Maddie's weekly chemo appointments around their already jam-packed schedule.

LeVan works 12 hours a week as an emergency-room nurse, and they live on a small organic farm, where Brad works full-time. Maddie is responding well to the treatment and returned to preschool in January.

The cure rate for her form of the disease is 85 to 90 percent, and if all goes well, she'll be healthy again after two to three years of chemo. LeVan has launched a Web site (twotrials.org) to raise money for childhood cancer treatment and track both their journeys. She's running 90 miles a week, knowing that her marathon in April is the easier one by far.

Follow her lead: "It's hard to get out the door some mornings after a night of little sleep. But I feel energized physically and mentally afterward, and I am much better prepared to attack the day."

I live right outside of that town. It's a great inspiration. We have a few around here.

YES! I watched a story on ESPN about him the other day. After watching that and then watching the Reebok Crossfit competition, I sincerely felt like a lame *kitten* loser that needed to get my *kitten* in the gym!

Wow!!!! Just..... WOW!!! What an inspiration that young man is!! Thank you for sharing this and reminding me just how blessed I really am. :happy:

WOW!

Now this is amazing! Thanks for sharing!