Leukemia and lymphoma are two deadly diseases, which ten years ago had a 20% survival rate to anyone who may have caught the diseases. Now after ten years, the survival rate has increased to 80% thanks to leukemia and lymphoma societies, one being Team in Training.

Team in training, the longest endurance sport in the country, is a society made for leukemia and lymphoma patients. The supporters of this society train for many months to run, swim, or bicycle in half marathons, marathons or triathlons raising money for the patients.

Everyday participants train about 1-2 hours. On Saturdays and Sundays, they run, swim, and bike for one day and the other they have a 50-60 mile bike ride.

Here at Varela, Mr. Gus Roland, a teacher in the Social Science department, is a supporter. Mr. Roland has been in this society for 6 years, joining the organization for his best friend who was diagnosed with leukemia.

“I would do anything for him. I wanted to help him,” said Mr. Roland.

Mr. Roland’s friend, Joe Scott, who has been featured in the Herald several times, beat leukemia and is now running with Mr. Roland to help anyone who may be in the same situation that Joe was once in.

The last race Mr. Roland ran was on January 30, for the Miami half marathon. Every year Mr. Roland runs about 3-4 marathons and 4-5 triathlons.

Mr. Roland has run the Disney marathon 5 times, Hawaii’s Maui once, Nashville, Tennessee’s half marathon, and Miami’s half marathon 3 times.

After a year of running for the society, Mr. Roland soon became a coach and has now coached for about 5 years.

Mr. Roland will soon be training for the marathon in Dublin, Ireland and afterwards for 4 triathlons. Mr. Roland runs purely for the donations and he believes that the “main point for the marathons is every minute and cent count and cause a difference in someone’s life.”

The participants do not just run to win the races but they run for the funds and donations to help the foundations to find cures for the diseases. Anyone can join “even if that person never ran, is a couch potato, or has problems as well.”

For anyone who may want to participate in this cause go to www.teamintraining.org or talk directly to Mr. Roland in room 157.