Local triathlete raises cancer awareness
Toolbox
By Mike Schaefer Times Argus Staff - Published: April 13, 2006
The first steps East Montpelier's Lauren Quinn took in an effort to get in shape for a triathlon were the hardest.
Four months later, and with just under six weeks left until she competes in the Memphis in May Triathlon, Quinn is still feeling the burn.
And it has been worth every muscle pain and blister.
Quinn's decision to participate in an event she has never done before – one that challenges both the body's physical demands and mental capacities through a 1.5-kilometer swim, a 40-kilometer bicycle race and a finishes with a 10-kilometer run – was not based on some fanciful idea to check-off a life-long goal on her to-do list.
She's doing it as much for herself as she is for her six-year-old son, Fergus, who was diagnosed 18- months ago with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and has been steadily receiving chemotherapy treatments since then.
"This is as much my thing as it is his," said Quinn. "I can't say that I would have been doing this if it weren't for him."
Quinn, who upon hearing of her son's illness involved herself in every aspect of learning about leukemia. Soon, she was visiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Web site on a regular basis.
"There was always this little button about TNT (Team-In-Training) on the site and one day I just clicked," said Quinn. "Then after my brother raised $10,000 and ran two marathons, I figured I'd go and check it out."
Quinn's brother took it upon himself to get involved with TNT as a way to connect with what his sister was living through and give what he could to his nephew who was suffering from the illness.
Her husband, Rob Ryan, and her daughter, Norah, are also supportive of Quinn's challenge.
Team-In-Training began in 1988 as fundraising effort to arrange group training for endurance sporting events and raise money for leukemia and lymphoma research. Last year alone, TNT had over 35,000 participants in local chapter events and raised over $85 million for the organization.
For each individual participant, and depending on which event they sign up to train for, they are given a fundraising minimum. A percentage of the minimum also pays for all the fees and travel costs for the event, and a large percentage is used for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's research funding.
While Quinn had a minimum of $4,500, she has already pulled in just under $8,000 for the cause.
"Raising the money was the easy part for me," said Quinn, who is a partner and veterinarian at the Onion River Animal Hospital. "My partners made a significant donation to kick it off and a recent fundraising event at Stairway to Style brought in over $400."
After raising the necessary funds, Quinn still had to train. At the initial TNT meeting for the Upstate New York/Vermont chapter in mid-January, Quinn decided she could probably finish the Memphis in May Triathlon and signed up. Little did she know the training would commence immediately.
"Those first steps were hard. I walked a lot and began to run too," said Quinn. "Sometimes in the winter, I'd a put a movie on for the kids and just run up and down in front of my house so that I was still within shouting distance."
Quinn eventually began training in all three events: running, biking and swimming.
"I think I did a 5K about 15 years ago – that's the extent of my athletic endeavors," said Quinn. "I didn't even own a bike."
The training component quickly fell together. Onion River Sports put together a custom bike for Quinn that is light enough for a road bike race, but sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of training on her dirt roads in East Montpelier. First in Fitness gave Quinn a free three-month membership so she could train – especially the swimming component – during the winter months.
"I was such a beginner when I started and it's still really daunting to compare myself to real triathletes," said Quinn. "I don't want to be slowest or finish last, even though that's okay, so I've been really trying to push myself."
As a self-described "out-of-shape mom" who was not particularly active, the training, the fundraising and the event itself have been life-altering for Quinn. She said she's lost close to 40 pounds and plans on staying active long active the Memphis in May Triathlon. The event, which is on May 21, also happens to be Quinn's 40th birthday.
While she hasn't actually tackled any of the components at the event's distances yet, she's more confident now that it's possible for her to achieve. Her six-hours-per-week training appears to have paid off in dividends.
"This doesn't feel like a process that will end in May," said Quinn. "Now I'm a person who, after a day or two in the hospital, gets really antsy to get back in the pool or running again. This whole process brought me back 15 years to when I was active."
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