Sunday, May 17, 2009

Medals 4 Mettle


“Medals 4 Mettle”

What do you do with all of your racing hardware? You train for months and sometimes years in all types of conditions to get your body in peak physical condition for your event. You compete hoping to reap the results of all your hard efforts. Finishing, you are rewarded more often than not with a medal.

You may wear them proudly post race at the event, but then what becomes of them? Could you and would you be willing to give a token of something that you have worked so hard for to someone who is a fight for their life? Their finish line is not measured in PR's, Boston Qualifiers, distance or time limits. Often times, their finish line is making through the next round of chemo, surgery, or therapy, and hopefully, eventually being able to go home.

In my latest podcast, I was able to sit down with Slow Joe who runs the Michigan chapter of Metals 4 Mettle.

Medals4Mettle (M4M) is a non-profit organization founded in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2005. Its mission is to celebrate and reward the individual and collective courage of all human beings by facilitating the gifting of marathon finisher’s medals from marathoners to people who have demonstrated similar mettle, or courage. The recipients can be any age and might have exhibited such mettle by dealing with disease, handicaps or any similar challenge. (via the website)


My decision was an easy one. Hanging in my man cave, these medals are better given to someone who is fighting a battle far more important than on the day I raced. On that day, I earned those respective medals and I was proud of my accomplishment, but knowing I could give something to another that is a fight far more important that my running is more important.

So take a look at your medals. Even a donation of one medal could lift a spirit, inspire a soul, and perhaps drive them on to their finish line.

6 comments:

SDrunner said...

It would be interesting to hear what other people do with their medals.

While I was in high school getting these medals, I would hang them up in my room. But once I graduated, they were all stored away in a little box, never to be seen again.

Spike said...

I love this idea. I always box up my medals and tuck them away. Not now. Now I'm going to dig them out and donate them. Do you know if they take more than just marathon medals?

Unknown said...

Great Question: Half Marathon, Marathon, and Triathlon medals for now.

RunnerDude said...

Wow! What a cool idea. I gotta check this out. Thanks man!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for another greet post. Keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

this is my third year in a row of sending off a box of medals. great use