Iwan Axt's Team In Training Page

Raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by competing in the
Gulf Coast Half Ironman Triathlon

Hello, and welcome to my web site (my first). I am very happy you have found your way here because that means that you may be interested in doing something very important -- donating money that will be used to fight blood borne cancers and improve patient's lives.

I really appreciate your taking the time to visit. There is plenty of information here so if you already know you want to sponsor me for the Gulf Coast Half Ironman click here, otherwise take your time and look around!

Quick Navigation

What's New? - Credit Card Payment Option
Who Am I?
What Am I Doing and Why
What Is This For, Anyway?
Who I'm Doing This For -- My Honored Teammates
What Is A Blood Cancer?
How You Can Help
What Do You Get Out of Sponsorship?
Contact Information

Who Am I?

I am just your average person with pretty much the same wants and desires that each of us have. I was trained as a mechanical engineer,and while I don't do that anymore, I still love science and engineering. To keep mentally active I still do some design. For example, I at the time of this writing, am building a model glider in honor of the first powered flight.

For a living I am Director of Billing Operations at a local phone company. Sounds exciting doesn't it? It's almost like being James Bond. So, when I'm not off doing things for "God and Country", I am practicing a martial art called Aikido, participating in races sponsored by the New York Road Runners Club, and spending time with friends and family.

What Am I Doing and Why Am I Doing It?

My goal is to raise $5000.00 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as a Team in Training team member by asking people to sponsor me in a race that will be one of the greatest challenges of my life, up to this point. In fact, both completing the Gulf Coast Half Ironman Triathlon and the amount I have pledged to raise seem quite daunting to me now. In order to complete the race I will have to swim 1.2 miles in open water then bike 56 miles, then finish it off with a run of 13.1 miles. But to me completing the race is not the important part, nor is it what I am most worried about. I am worried about raising the $5000.00 since I have never solicited money from people let alone, solicited such a large amount of money for so important a cause.

Why I am I doing it? Well, I have always believed that while life is fun and games, we as individuals have an obligation to society and civilization. I think that we should give back to society in some way to make it just a little better than it would be had we not existed. In a way it is not good enough merely to be a productive member of society, but one must contribute to society and defend (yes, defend) civilization so that we may leave the place a little better.

I am not a doctor, medical researcher, physicist divining the nature of the universe, teacher, street violinist playing Mozart that lifts them self and the people listening to some higher plane, or even a practicing engineer, so my direct contribution to society and civilization is limited. I have no children and therefore can not count on them to do, as all parents hope, something greater than their parents have done. So, I a have chosen to do something a little beyond, greater if you will, my current role in society allows.

What Is This For, Anyway?

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. They do this by:

Funding medical research to make advances and treatments in fighting leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin disease and myeloma
Providing support and guidance for patients and their families and the health care professionals that care for them
Providing education services to increase general awareness
Advocating for public policy positions that accelerate progress toward cures
Sponsoring community service events to raise funds for their missions and to get individuals involved in the fight to cure blood cancers

The reason I am doing it and the reason for doing it as I have described it thus far are, respectively, pretty heady and dry, if not important. More practically I have "running" with me two honored teammates for whom the realization of my goals is of utmost importance. These women have battled, suffered, and still suffer the affects of a blood borne cancer and your sponsorship can help them.

My Honored Teammates

Amanda Demilt

Age: 29
Occupation: Marketing and Part-Time ESL Teacher
Type of Blood Related Cancer: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Date Diagnosed: November 1999, she was 25
Status: In remission for 4 years

How has her outlook changed?

I try to make a conscious effort to create time to do things I enjoy, and to worry less about things I can't change. I guess I have become a bit selfish, but in a good way.

Gayle Silverman

Age: 23
Occupation: Pharmaceutical Market Research Analyst
Type of Blood Related Cancer: Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Date Diagnosed: September 2001, she was 21
Status: In remission

Her advice to a person affected by cancer?

Take advantage of every day. Don't concentrate on whether or not there are a few days or hours left but make each moment that you have truly count. Live everyday as if it were your last, because one of these days it will be. Most importantly, make sure you have no regrets.

Why Am I Doing This?

These people,and others like them are why I am doing this. The money that I raise -- that you donate by sponsoring me, will be used as I have described in the Society's mission statement, but in a more practical statement your money may save lives and will enhance the life of people afflicted with a blood cancer such as Gayle and Amanda.

To remind me, and others, why I am participating in the Team in Training program I will be wearing a wristband signed by Gayle and Amanda throughout my training, fund raising, and triathlon. Additionally, although my father did not die of a blood born cancer (it was another form of cancer) I will be running the race in his memory as well as Gayle and Amanda's honor.

What is a Blood Borne Cancer?

First, some statistics. There are 670,950 people living with blood cancers. An estimated 58,300 deaths from blood cancers will occur in 2003. Someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer every 9 minutes.

Unfortunately, given these statistics, I think that each one of us is closer to knowing someone affected by a blood related cancer than you would think.

Blood cancers originate in the bone marrow (leukemia and myeloma) or lymphatic tissues (lymphoma). Although they arise in separate systems they are related cancers because they involve uncontrolled growth of cells with similar functions and origins.

These diseases result from an acquired (as opposed to inherited) genetic injury to the DNA of a single blood cell, which becomes malignant and multiplies continuously. The accumulation of these abnormal cells interferes with the body's production of normal cells.

Leukemia

Leukemia is a malignant disease of the bone marrow and blood. There are over 30,600 new cases in the U.S. each year, and while leukemia strikes 10 times more adults as children, leukemia is the most common form of cancer in children.

Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originates in the lymphatic system. About 61,000 new cases of lymphoma will be diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Fifty-seven percent of blood cancers are lymphomas. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the is the fifth most common cancer in the U.S and 53,400 cases are diagnosed each year.

Myeloma

Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells, a type of blood cell found in many tissues of the body, but primarily in the bone marrow. An estimated 14,600 new cases of myeloma are diagnosed in the U.S each year. Eighty percent of myeloma cases occur after the age of 60 and it rarely occurs in people under age 50.

If you are interested in more information about Leukemia, Lymphoma and other blood borne cancers, visit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's web site and select the category DISEASE INFORMATION.

How Can You Help and What Do You Get Out of It?

Remember my goal is to raise $5000.00 for the Society so, the number one thing you can do to help right now is to sponsor me by donating money. All you need to do is send me your 100% tax deductible contribution. Any amount is appreciated! Do it now if you had even the slightest inkling to do so! Oh, and don't forget to ask your employer if they have a corporate matching program.

Make the checks payable to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society but send them to me:

Please put "Iwan Axt / Gulf Coast" in the memo field.

If you want to use your credit card, you can print out then fill out this form and mail it to me. You'll need an Acrobat reader to read the file.

I know that not every one can give what they believe to be a significant amount or amount that makes a difference, but, actually, every donation helps. Think of it this way, if there are 500 of you out there reading this who are thinking that you won't sponsor me because you think the amount that you can give is insignificant, and each instead gave $10.00, I will have made my fund raising goal.

How about this? If you think you can not sponsor me now to fight Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma, will you give up one indulgence this week and send me the money instead? Give up a lunch (but not if you are hypoglycemic -- I don't want anyone passing out), those beers after work, a bottle of wine, the ticket to Scary Movie 3, anything that you could do without for the week, and send me a check in the amount of the cost of that indulgence.

Please send me an e-mail at bigcalfan@hotmail.com if you have any questions and let me know if you can sponsor me.

Finally, you could help, by telling one other person and family member about my cause and this site.

Oh, Yeah. What Do You Get Out of It?

First of all you are going to feel really great knowing that at least 75% of your donation is going directly to research in finding ways to stop blood born cancers and patient services. One of the goals of the Team in Training program is to keep overhead as low as possible and make sure that most of the money goes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and not to running their fund raising program. Think of it, the donation you make could help save a life or bring comfort to someone affected by a blood borne cancer. Who knows? Your donation may be the last one ever needed because it is the one that is used to find the ultimate cure!

You can feel good too because, if you know me you'd be helping out a friend achieve one of the goals in his life.

If the above two reasons were not good enough for you, I'll be a bit more practical.

If you sponsor me I will run in memory of someone you know that has passed away from, or in honor of someone who has, leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma. I will wear bracelets, or ribbons, or something with the honoree's name on my person during my triathlon. Like my honored teammates, I will use your friends and family members as my inspiration for finishing the race and raising the money.

Additionally, I will put their name on my weblog.

Weblog? Yes, as a sponsor you will get access to my weblog. On this weblog I will keep a running commentary on my training and fund raising as well as number of embellishments about my personal life just to keep things interesting. The best part about it is that you get to see my progress as I prepare for the race.

You'll need a password to see the weblog, so send in your sponsorship right now!

Thanks for Stopping By!

Now get your checkbook or credit card, and do a good thing and sponsor me!

Contact Information

Mailing Address:

Email:

bigcalfan@hotmail.com Web site:

http://www.foamtotem.org/~iaxt. Weblog:

Iwan Axt's Team In Training Blog