FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - It has been nearly 10 years since Carol Rein, a financial management analyst at U.S. Army North, has been in complete remission from breast cancer.
Now, at 61, Rein found a way to battle cancer for others: running.
Rein said she wants to help any way she can to find a cure and recently started running half-marathons with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training.
Each running event raises money to find a cure for what more than 11 million Americans suffer from every year.
"What started this was my daughter, Shelly," said Rein. "She told me I needed to get back to running; so, when I found TNT, I decided to get back into running. Since I am a cancer survivor, anything that we can do to raise funds to find a cure to eliminate cancer is a good thing."
TNT is the world's largest voluntary charity sports training program and has more than 390,000 participants. It focuses primarily on raising money to fight blood cancers. Since 1949, TNT has raised more than $680 million for research, with more than $69 million in 2009. The team travels all over the country to run in events to raise money for a cure.
Rein traveled to San Francisco with TNT in October to run in Nike's Race to San Francisco. She ran the half-marathon and raised more than $4,000.
She started training in May 2009 with Shelly West, a friend who is a management analyst at Brooke Army Medical Center. West, 49, who is more than a year in complete remission from acute myeloid leukemia, said Rein is the reason she runs.
Rein and West trained together twice a week after they decided to start running with TNT.
"I used ARNORTH's civilian physical training program. It helped having the extra time to train every week," said Rein.
ARNORTH's civilian program allows civilian employees three hours a week to take off from work and exercise. Lt. Gen. Thomas Turner, former ARNORTH commanding general, implemented the program in early August.
"I told the general that his PT program was working out great," said Mitzie Roberts, friend and coworker of Rein's. "I told him because of the three hours a week, my friend is going to run two half-marathons. He thought it was good."
Since Rein and West began training, they completed two half-marathons: one in San Francisco and the Nov. 15 Rock and Roll Marathon in San Antonio.
"I could not have done it without Carol," said West. "She encouraged and inspired me every step of the way. In San Francisco, I cried as I approached the finish line. In San Antonio, I celebrated."
Both, Rein and West said they are eager to help others overcome the challenges brought forth with cancer in whatever ways they can. After all, each knows what it's like.
"I am a proud survivor of breast cancer. If I can help people with cancer by running, there is no excuse I shouldn't," said Rein.
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At the finish line.
SAN FRANCISCO - Carol Rein (middle in purple shirt and shorts), who serves as a financial management analyst with U.S. Army North, crosses the finish line during the Nike's Race to San Francisco Oct. 18. Rein ran the women's half-marathon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training and raised more than $4,000 to find a cure for cancer. The Race to San Francisco was the first half-marathon the 61-year-old had completed. Rein, a proud survivor of breast cancer, said if she can help people with cancer by running, then there is no reason she shouldn't.
(Courtesy photo)
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