Fearless in Many Forms
I am honored to be able to share a blog post for You Fearless from Marc Lavine. Marc has been one of the most successful and passionate fundraisers for Cycle for Survival that I have ever witnessed. But he doesn't just lead his team to deliver results...he does so with extraordinary heart and deep authenticity. Here's Marc's latest take on what it means to be fearless:
Being fearless takes many forms. I recently had reason to reflect on that as I was doing some work to get my team ready for this year's Cycle For Survival event in New York City. One of my teammates approached me and told me he was nervous about riding and he did not know if he could do it. His apprehension grew when at a team meeting a few people asked if they could ride multiple hours. Intimated at the very least, he assured me that he would try it. This is the same person who had taken 6 months off of work to be treated via surgery and chemotherapy for Thyroid cancer. Every time I see him, his head is high. He does not live in the fear of what happened. He lives in the present, feeling strong about being cancer free. He does not cower, he lives on and so he recently assured me, he's proudly riding.
At last year's CFS event, I met a man who stopped to talk to me before the afternoon session. I had raised a large amount of money as an individual and he wanted to thank me for my work. I thanked him for the kind gesture and was about to move on when he quickly added "You know, this stuff really works." Admittedly, I assumed he was speaking in a broad brush stroke way on how Cycle For Survival raises cancer awareness. I acknowledged how great it was that we had raised awareness on rare cancer research. He quickly said again "I don't think you understood me. This event really works." He went on to explain that he had been in a Cycle For Survival clinical trial and that it was the reason he is still here today. He then quickly moved onto the floor and rode for the entire afternoon session. Despite what was going on in his life, his head was high and he was not afraid of a fight. I am not often lost for words but it was the very display of strength we all talk about on the Youfearless site. Not just our ability our to go on but to live life on our terms and not the terms of a disease. I am very proud to call that guy my friend today.
Having always ridden by myself, I was nervous about asking others to ride with me. I was concerned about whether people would feel pressured about raising money or having to give. In short, I was afraid of people saying no to me on making the bigger commitment of time. Thinking of the stories above made me realize a my bigger fear: doing nothing. 30 people and $85,000 later, our team is prepared to do one thing on March 3rd, beat cancer. Some team members were nervous about making the ask for money, but they did. A few were nervous about having never been to a spin class, but they are riding.
When I look back through the incredible Youfearless posts of stories of Perry Zimmerman, Sydney Becker and of course Jennifer Linn, I am humbled. Humbled to be part of the 13,000 riders this year who will ride without fear. We stand bravely in the name of our loved ones. We are ready because we are fearless in our own form.
-Marc Lavine
If you'd like to support Marc's team, you can do so at: http://mskcc.convio.net/site/TR/CycleforSurvival/AG_Cycle_Event?px=1158601&pg=personal&fr_id=1818.
And always, if you have a You Fearless story to share, please send it to me at jsbalis@aol.com.
All the best,
Janet