What is TFH (Train for Humanity)?

TFH is a non-profit that aims to encourage everyday people to attempt a physical challenge that is outside their normal comfort zone. By doing so, TFH athletes hope to raise awareness about poverty in third world countries. The goal of each athlete is to raise at least a thousand dollars which is then sent to charity that serves in the third world.

Read more at http://trainforhumanity.org/about/mission

My goal

I had a goal of running the 2008 Melbourne Marathon back in October, but an exciting game of soccer in June quickly ended that with a fracture which set me back several months in training. Fortunately, the cast came off late last year and I set myself a goal of running the 2009 Melbourne Marathon. At the same time, I decided to join TFH, hoping that my personal ambition might also help benefit a few others.

I wrote an initial post on my profile and outlined my goals. I also started a twitter page to keep people updated about my running.

Current status

I am glad to say that as of the evening of Friday, 5 June 2009, I have finished the marathon for only the second time in my life. My first time ever running a distance of over 40 km was back in February 2006 on East Coast Park in Singapore, which was quickly ended by a foot injury. And I have yet to run an marathon official event outside these personal training sessions.

Future Goal

Having reached my initial goal sooner than October 2009, I have decided to set myself a new goal of trying to run the marathon in under 3 hours and 45 minutes by October.

You can help by following by progress at my twitter page: http://twitter.com/vaishnavsr

And of course, don’t forget to donate by clicking the link on the right of my page: http://trainforhumanity.org/author/vaishnav

Also, to continue with our commitment to transparency here is the receipt from our $1500.00 donation:

If YOU would like to support any of our current athletes please visit our “Athletes Page.”

I have never been much of a sports guy: games like soccer scare me; I’m usually the lousy player ruining my team’s chances for winning. And even though I’m from Finland, I barely know how to ski. That’s why I’ve been so surprised by running and the effect training for an event has had on me.

I have been experimenting with running for a few months in the past year or two — starting enthusiastically and then giving up after a while. But even though the habit never really survived in the past, I always felt that there was something special about running: unlike sports in general, I liked it.

So, on last year’s new year’s eve, I made the decision to pick up running again. And to protect myself from giving up, I took some precautions: On the very day, I signed up for Helsinki City Run, a half marathon event run in Helsinki every May. This made me accountable to more than just myself. And I got myself a training program to follow from week one and taped it on my fridge.

Fast forward four months and a few days and it’s May 9. The training had been good, except for the last week, when I was preparing for my son’s second birthday, buying myself a bike, and thus could find no good time for running. On top of all that, the half marathon day dawned with heavy rain. I was sure this was the doomsday and all my running would go in vain.

Around 1 PM, I hopped on the bus and made it downtown to the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in time for the warm up session at 2:15. My spirit started getting higher as I saw the ten thousand other participants getting ready for the race, listened to the commentator cheering us, and put on my running gear.

The race itself was nothing like I had feared. It was pure fun: I started slowly in the last starting group without any clear goal in mind. Secretly I was hoping to complete in under two and half hours, but I had told everyone, including myself, that my main goal was just to finish the race and not have to walk. The team spirit between the runners was supportive, people were chatting with each other, and I overheard some ladies talk about their training and how their longest runs so far had been around 13 kilometers. I’m sure they did OK in the race as well, but somehow, hearing that made me feel confident and happy about the 19 km run I had done just two weeks earlier.

After getting halfway through the race, I started adding speed little by little, feeling comfortable about the distance, thinking this would go well. The only thing I was afraid of was my left knee: it had been misbehaving lately and I was scared it would start to hurt during the race. Luckily, it didn’t give up on me and in the last few kilometers, I ended up passing by quite a few other runners.

Running through the gates of the Olympic Stadium and sprinting the last 100 meters was an unbelievable moment. There it was: the goal of an actual, real race! This time I wasn’t a spectator anymore. I was a participant, and I had just completed 21,1 kilometers. Half of the full marathon distance! My final time was 2:23:01, and even though it’s still far from perfect, it makes me happy: I feel I’m a runner now!

This is not the end, it’s the beginning

It was great to complete my first race, but even better was knowing that I could now start training for the next, putting the stakes higher and keeping improving. And, I’m way behind my Train for Humanity sponsorship goals: $30 is a start, but I’m still missing $970. To get there, I think, I need to keep running.

So, yesterday, I paid the fee for my next event, Finlandia Marathon, a full marathon that takes place in Jyväskylä, the central Finland town where my parents live; three rounds around the Jyväsjärvi lake in the middle of the city.

The training continues, and if everything goes as it should, nine months after that original new year’s resolution, I’ll be running my first marathon. Stay tuned, check out my athlete page, and consider sponsoring my training. Just like my training continues, so does the crisis in Darfur. The need is big, so let’s use the means we have to do our share in helping out.

My name is Ola and first I need to confess to something: I had never run more than 3 miles. No big deal, there are plenty of people like me out there! But there’s something else… When I heard about Train for Humanity and that they were looking for new participants, something in me jumped up with joy and yelled: “You have to do it!” So I politely listened and signed up for a marathon, giving myself about 10 weeks to train.

23 miles in 10 weeks - that’s the distance I have to add to my runs. It looks quite intimidating at a first glance, but 23 is my favorite number, so it just has to go right!

I discovered Train for Humanity through Zen Habits and I immediately thought it was an amazing idea to use fitness as a means to pursue social good. And the fact that TFH was opened to anyone willing to participate gave me no other option but to sign up. Running a marathon is a big challenge, but what better motivation do I need than raising money to help others?

I’m running in a marathon in Lebork, Poland, on June 21st. If you want to read more about my journey from a sitter to a runner, please have a look at my blog I Run For Life. You can also follow me on Twitter: Ola Powazynska

Thank you for your support!

A big *thank you* to all who have supported us so far and to the Train for Humanity volunteer board members; Andrew Flusche, Jarkko Laine, Dan Clements, and Leo Babauta. It was far from our original goal, but the TFH team members feel that every little bit helps!

We are truly grateful to be able to support the important work that DPDO is undertaking as they work to create sustainable education programs for Darfur.

I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our newest ‘participant’ athletes. In no particular order they are:

Jarkko Laine - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/jarkko

David Spence - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/dspence

Claire Bronson - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/cbronson

Deb Brown - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/deb-brown

Vaishnav - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/vaishnav

Terena Ahlers - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/terena

Bernie Tretta - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/bernietretta

Laura Palmero - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/laurapalmero

If you know of anyone who might be interested in becoming a TFH participant, please tell them to email trainforhumanity@gmail.com.  Additionally, you can receive regular updates on Train for Humanity by  joining our mailing list.  It’s as simple as adding your email address in the box above.

As for me, I live in Houston, Texas and coordinate a study on Marfan syndrome for Baylor College of Medicine.  Although I love to exercise, I had long forgotten what competition was and never dreamt of doing a triathlon.  Recently, my great friend and fellow TFH athlete, Bernie Tretta, put down the cupcakes and convinced me to do a sprint triathlon with her in March.  We both will be participating in the Silverlake Triathlon in May and will select another one for June.  My goal is to raise $1,000 from now until my third tri.

The money raised will benefit the 15 “Schools of Peace” which are educating over 8,000 children in North Darfur.  I strongly believe in supporting education to provide children with a sense of peace and opportunity despite having to live in a very volatile region.  Please join the Train for Humanity athletes in showing these children that we do care and have not forgotten about them.

After spending time in western Africa, it became more apparent how easy it is for Americans to forget about the rest of the world… especially those in need.  Train for Humanity’s mission is to raise money for the Darfur Peace and Development Organization’s school project to build and fund schools (http://www.darfurpeace.org/programs/darfur-schools-program).  Presently, it is the only organization paying salaries for school principals, teachers and support staff in North Darfur.  Train for Humanity is a fantastic way to raise money, raise awareness and raise the bar on my training goals.

I am dedicating every race and triathlon I run between now and August to Train for Humanity with a goal to raise $1000.

Despite societal differences, all of us are the same; we are all interconnected… struggling with similar issues, to ultimately overcome ourselves, our situations and be happy. Humanity is interesting because so often it forgets itself.  We are all human and therefore we all have the ability to make a difference in the lives around us and in the world.

Like many people, I struggle with issues like self discipline, motivation, and energy… haha! When I was younger I seemed to have limitless motivation and self discipline. Now in my old age of 28 I find myself telling stories about my days when I was younger and participated in power lifting competitions, spending my carefree days training at my local gym!!! Like that’s so far away? So this year I’m retaking charge of my life and ending my latest cycle of excuses.  I registered for the Baltimore 10-miler in June 2009. I wanted a nice easy goal before I move up to a half marathon and then marathon either this fall or early next year. 

When I stumbled across TFH I felt immediately that I wanted to take part and help.  TFH allows athletes and want-to-be athletes to take the extra step beyond selfish reasons of training and being healthy. Thank you for allowing me to take part, be a positive example, and rise above my own narrow goals to enrich the broader concerns of humanity.

In 2008, I encountered sprains, warts, a fracture and several blisters. After training through the summer, I am back to where I was before my injuries. But should I stop there? This October, I am hoping to run my first marathon in over 3 years. By attempting to do so, I will be moving out of my comfort zone and redefining my own limits of possibility. But, in the process, I hope that my love for running can bring out a greater change than just personal satisfaction.

Having lived in developing nations for a decade, I am aware of the epidemics of poverty and war. While athletes willingly push against their own physical and mental limits out of passion, millions everyday are forced beyond their own limits just to survive. Can something be done? As a new TFH athlete, I have set myself a goal of raising at least $1000 by October. The money you donate will bring more than food, shelter or clothing - it will renew hope for the less fortunate and allow them to work their way out of poverty.

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” – Walt Disney

I believe in doing two things at once, when possible.  So why not raise money for humanity and train at the same time?