Honored Hero: Mark Stratton

Saturday's honored hero is the husband of another teammate...his name is Mark and his wife (who runs with TNT) is Austin. However, they weren't married when Mark was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma in May of 2006...they had just met. He was given a 50/50 chance of surviving his illness and by the time he finished chemo in October of that SAME YEAR he was in remission! Amazing! Even more good news was to follow...the following October in 2007 Austin and Mark were married and have since been blessed with two beautiful children.

Since Austin met Mark and he became an honored hero of LLS she has wanted to participate in a TNT event in honor of him...and this is her season! On June 5th she will be running in the San Diego Rock 'N' Roll Marathon. That entire race benefits LLS! This will be her 1st full marathon...and I know she will do fabulous.

On Austin's fundraising page...she posts updates...and I want to share her post from March 8...

There are just some days, like today, that I DO NOT want to get up and run. I want to stay in my nice warm and cozy bed, I don't want to get up I do not want to run 6.5 miles in the morning and 4 at night. Then as I am lying there listening to my alarm I remind myself why I am doing this. I remind myself of the days that it literally took every ounce of energy that Mark had just to get out of bed. I am remind of the days that it took all he had to sit up and watch a movie with me. I remember that I do not want him or anyone else to have to suffer that same fate, and so once again, I get up. I put both feet on the floor, put my shorts, shirt, socks, and shoes on, I go down stairs walk out my front door, turn on my ipod and say a prayer, Thanking the Lord for the strength I know only comes from Him to get up and do this. Phillipians 4:13.....Then I run!

Her words ring true for many family members of those that are diagnosed with blood cancers or any cancer. Those of us that train and fundraise for these events have a choice but our honored heros do NOT have a choice...they do not have a choice to skip treatment or spend a holiday in the hospital. As many have said...we run for those that can't.

We Train Endure Achieve and Matter in honor of heros like Mark!

GO MARK...GO AUSTIN & GO TEAM!

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