Duke TNT
Posted under: 
1Free training to run/walk a full/half marathon in places as awesome as Alaska while at the same time bonding with friends and curing blood cancers.
Vote: 1816
Team Leader:
Daniel Strunk
Team Information:
The Idea:
Duke TNT
Every year, a large number of students come back from Winter Break having invariably gained weight or fallen out of shape. The Freshman 15, or the experience of gaining 15 pounds your first year at school, is a reality for many students. What makes matters worse is that the January and February month at Duke is filled with Fraternity/Sorority Rush, pledging, parties, and a rigorous jump start to academic classes — making it even harder for students to get back in the groove and stay healthy. Stress piles up and time runs short. It’s hard to balance social, academic, and physical aspects of life at the same time.
A solution is to provide an easy and fun outlet for exercise– one that combines a social component along with a physical component. A goal you set to achieve with a group of your close friends is much more likely to be accomplished, with each of you helping the others out. Duke Team in Training would involve groups of students who self-organize and elect to join up with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training Program, which kicks off its spring season annually in January. Team In Training is a program where individuals form a “Team” to fight blood cancer by running/walking half-marathons, marathons, or participating in triathlons. They gain free access to professional coaching, mentoring, training regimens, and other resources, in preparing for these endurance events. We could bring all these resources to campus, making training easily accessible to students. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society also pays for airfare and lodging for when the individuals run their chosen event, whether that be in North Carolina or Alaska. In return, the individuals have to raise a certain amount of money for LLS. $0.76 of every dollar raised goes directly to blood cancer research or patient services. Having a group of college friends train together would promote closer friendships, fight the College 15, teach healthy living, and most importantly FIGHT BLOOD CANCERS!