MCVET’s Members of the Month: Terrell and Sean
Terrell's BOMF Ink
Terrell has been a member since day one, and in all of the time he has spent with BoMF, he says that “it’s not about one moment for me that stands out, it’s about all the moments and the genuine friendships built from those moments. Special shout out to Jenn, Maggie and Geoff – all of them have been so good to me.” He says that his biggest challenge is overcoming his shortcomings. Being injured and having to make the hard call to stop a run or pull out of a race is one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do. Terrell became an alumni in 2011 when began taking classed and moved into his own place. His goal for the next three months is to focus on settling into his apartment making it cozy, and of course, finish the Frozen Finger 5 Miler.
Somewhere along that 5 Miler course, Terrell claims he’ll be thinking about “Where I am in life at the moment and all the steps I’ve taken along the way. Most of the time that gets me thinking about how much BoMF played a role in those steps.”
“Terrell S. has been a member of been a member of Team MCVET since Back on My Feet first circled up in March of 2009 and despite moving on from MCVET, becoming an alumni, and starting school and work, his commitment to this team and its members, both old and new has never wavered. He literally wears his commitment on his sleeve! Terrell’s support for his teammates has been on full display on numerous notable occasions these past few months. At the Baltimore Running Festival, Terrell was forced to drop out of his own half-marathon race as a result of a calf injury, but rather than call it a day or let his disappointment get the best of him, he instead hobbled straight back to the finish line where he stood out as the most enthusiastic and loudest spectator, cheering each of his BoMF teammates in. Then again at last week’s Celtic Solstice, Terrell wasn’t registered for the race, but somehow managed to show up on course to accompany Sean for his return to racing after his accident last summer. Terrell truly is an incredible friend, supporter and teammate to all of us on Team MCVET.” – Peter, MCVET Team Leader
Sean and Team
“Sean, a member of Team MCVET since the Baltimore chapter first launched, has always given himself to Back on My Feet’s mission and members, whether serving as a race coordinator, refereeing Wipe Out, capturing the crowd’s attention with his “Shoutin’” or being there for a teammate when they needed it. Over the course of the past two plus years, he’s become a true friend to everyone who has laced up their sneakers to run with BoMF Baltimore. Sean had planned to run his second marathon this past fall at the Marine Corps Marathon, but in July, these training plans and his life were tragically altered when he was struck by a car while out on training run one evening.
This accident left him hospitalized for months and facing a long and arduous road to recovery that entailed multiple surgeries and extensive physical rehabilitation. “There was major trauma and damage to my left leg, thoracic vertebrae (near my spinal column), and left shoulder,” Sean recalls. “I could not walk, use my left arm, was wearing a spinal brace and was not fully cognizant for a period of time. Mentally and physically, I was damaged. The outpouring not only from MCVET but the rest of the teams has moved me to tears many times. For me, at that point, being “Back On My Feet” was a literal goal as my left leg had suffered enough damage that I could not walk for a significant period of time and knowing that I had the whole BOMF Baltimore community behind me was a huge help and and an enormous comfort to me. Just the chance to look around my hospital room and see the cards (SO many cards), the food, the photographs, and the little gifts, all of which reassured me and gave me the strength to know I could make it and succeed, to one day go back to running, that there was large group rooting for me and encouraging me.” Several teammates even used their own races to fundraise on his behalf.
Continuing with his physical therapy and light-impact cross training, Sean plans to continue furthering his recovery and moving closer to resuming to run. Sean says his goals is to be able to participate in the MCVET 5k or 10k in May. Continuing to be optimistic, Sean says, “If I manage to exceed my physical therapist’s expectations I may be able to do the Bruckenthal 5k. I hope to attend the Valentine’s run and I will be at the Nippy Nikia as part of the race committee.”
Despite the seriousness of his injuries, Sean remained committed to running again and although I never doubted his strength or resolve, I have to admit I had reservations when he told me that he planned to take the starting line at the Celtic Solstice 5 Miler in December. Sure enough though, on the morning of December 17th, not even six months after his accident, Sean circled up before the race with the rest of his Back on My Feet teammates who were running the race. Joined on course by his girlfriend and a growing contingent of Back on My Feet teammates, Sean [speed!] walked his way through the hilly five miles and crossed the finish line. The strength and perseverance Sean demonstrated through his recovery has been truly inspiring to each and every one of us who knows him and we look forward to lining up at more and more races beside him in 2012.” – Peter, MCVET Team Leader
Team Helping Up Mission’s Members of the Month: Stefan and Misha
Stefan and Misha
Stefan B., who joined BoMF in July 2011 and has logged more than 100 miles, says his best moment so far was “being a part of the Baltimore Running Festival. It was a great run.” While his biggest challenge is dealing with injury/pain in his foot, Stefan is ready to lace up his shoes for the Frozen Finger 5-Miler on January 7. His goal for the next three months is to complete his GED, and while running, Stefan says, “I think about the future. I want to stay open, humble and focused.”
Says Rob Carfagno, team leader: “Stefan likes to come out and have fun with his teammates. You can usually find him joking around with the team and keeping the mood light. Seeing him dance and have fun at the BASH was one of the highlights of the night! He has battled through some foot pain in recent months, but still does what he needs to in order to improve his running and better himself in many ways.”
Misha, who joined BoMF as a non-residential member in September 2011, says that her best moment “reoccurs every time my teammates subtly remind me with their actions that before I ran with them, I had no idea what I was missing by not being part of a team. From the hugs my very first morning, to being at the mile 22 water stop during BRF and screaming for BoMF, from dancing with my posse at the BASH, to every time a teammate runs at a slower pace for me, from my first morning run after nursing a sprained ankle, to being escorted in for my timed mile even though I was last to finish, from hearing about every time a teammate gets a PR, to the high fives after finishing, from being pushed to further distances, to being the one holding everyone’s stuff. There are so many awesome moments, that unfortunately for them, any time someone asks me how my running is going, they are treated to a 15 minute rave about Team HUM.”
Misha traveled to Australia to visit family for the holiday and while she was planning to attempt the Frozen Finger, she won’t be back in time. She says, “Team HUM is going to have to settle for a regular Wednesday run as my next race! I hope they remember who I am!”
Says Rob Carfagno, team leader: “Misha has made a big impact on our team in the short time since she joined! She has supported at a few races and is one of the most enthusiastic people out there! Misha enjoys joking around with teammates and she can usually be found in the middle of a circle of laughter each morning (and her voice can usually be heard above everyone else!). In addition to making people laugh, she also shows great compassion and friendship to her teammates and is one of those people who you know you can count on for anything. Misha understands the true meaning of Back on My Feet and has been a great addition to our team.”
Christopher’s Place’s Members of the Month: Jerome and Sadie
Jerome
Jerome E., who joined Team Christopher’s Place in September 2011, has already logged more than 180 miles and says that his best moment to date was winning the 5k race. He was very surprised and felt very proud to have accomplished the win. While he finds Baltimore hill running challenging, Jerome likes to take risks and meet challenges head-on. One of Jerome’s goals for the next few months is to complete a half, or possibly a full, marathon. While running, Jerome thinks about, “my mother and my child, they are my inspirations right now.”
Jerome’s last race was the Celtic Solstice. “It was great. I felt better at the end than at my previous race.” He is currently gearing up for the Frozen Finger 5 Miler.
Sadie
Sadie S. joined Back on My Feet in August 2010 and says, “It is really hard to pick just one favorite moment. I loved our birthday run last year because there was this huge snake of people running through the harbor and I thought how amazing it was to be part of something so grand. Tons of people from different backgrounds and places doing different things from 9-5, but all focused on one goal at 5:30 a.m.”
When asked to say something that most people don’t know about her, Sadie says, “I’m really afraid of the dark.” So, it’s good that she has lots of teammates to protect her on those dark, early morning runs. “Johnathan R. made me practice running and talking at the same time, so I’m a chatterbox.”
Sadie’s last race was the Baltimore Running Festival half marathon. “I didn’t make the time I wanted, but I finished. I still haven’t gotten that ‘itch’ to do another, or to do a full. Sorry to disappoint all you nutty runners!” Sadie’s next run with the BoMF crew will likely be the Nikia relay.
When asked what she would tell someone considering joining Team Christopher’s Place, Sadie says, “You will undoubtedly change someone’s life, but joining will undoubtedly change yours too.” And, her advice for a brand new runner? “Starting is the hardest part. It gets better and easier and more fun.”
