 "Photo: Alma E. Hernandez / The Pan American")
She’s a small woman with an enormous heart, with an equally enormous task in mind, to run a marathon for cancer research.
Sofia Torres is an alumnus of The University of Texas-Pan American who graduated in August 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in advertising/public relations. She is also one of hundreds of thousands of people in the world with a family history of cancer. In 2009, Torres’ mother was diagnosed with colon cancer and required surgery to remove part of her mother’s large intestine in order to relieve her suffering.
The stress and worry took a toll upon Torres’ life leaving her to understand the true effects of the disease.
“This was an eye-opener as to how bad cancer is because it affects the family,” Torres explained. “She’s now cancer-free but I can imagine, if she were still continuing the fight, how our family dynamics would have changed.”
With the uplifting results of her mother’s recovery, Torres decided to do something that will not only change her own life, but alter the lives of others. She has never been a runner, admitting that she’s never run a mile in her whole life.
“I loathe running,” she said. “I spoke to a friend who had always wanted me to join a marathon team. He explained to me that he was in an organization named The LLS Team in Training.”
THE ORGANIZATION
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a non-profit health organization dedicated to funding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. Since 1949, LLS has invested more than $680 million in research, including almost $70 million in 2009. LLS partners with TNT, Team in Training, to bring out the best in fund-raising marathon runners. TNT has been providing a training program for a range of participants, from first-timers to seasoned athletes for more than 21 years.
The Rio Grande Valley has its own chapter and members get support from Mission to Brownsville. Certified coaches provide training and clinics on fitness, nutrition, gear and injury prevention. From this chapter, runners are joined with others from around the state and all will meet at the Rock ‘n Roll San Diego Marathon & Half-Marathon June 5, running as a state team.
A week consists of team training on Saturday mornings starting at low mileage and increasing the distance throughout the season as a runner progresses. There are one to two days of low-mileage training on their own or with a practice buddy, one to two days of cross training including strength training or a different aerobic activity, then finally one or two days of rest.
“This is sort of like a bucket list for me, I’m 25 and I’ll be 30 pretty soon so I feel like it’s time to make time for me, make goals and reach them,” Torres said. “Like I said, I’m not a runner but I’m doing this for me, my mom, and those who are suffering with cancer.”
TRAINING IS TOUGH
Running a marathon can be compared to having cancer in a sense; there is preparation, pain, and sacrifice. Torres said when one prepares for it, she gathers all the gear and gets set for a long and vigorous challenge to the body.
For a cancer patient, the preparation dynamic includes family too as both gird for the approaching emotional and physical strain. This means pain. Pain through cancer is brought on by the sickness itself or through surgeries or treatment the patient goes through. Sacrifices are made when a runner gives up an hour or two out of their schedule to go through vigorous training for a distance run. Torres began training for the marathon Feb. 6 and recently suffered a setback with an injured knee.
When Torres’ mother was in the hospital, weeks went by when the laundry wasn’t done, and a home-cooked meal wasn’t present for almost three months. Actually, her support and encouragement didn’t come as easily as she had hoped.
“My mother at first was hesitant but later said whatever I think I can accomplish and put my mind to she’ll support,” the UTPA grad recalled. “She feels very honored because my sister Jimena and I are doing it for her. On the other side, my sister and I got hit with a lot of negativity from laughter in our faces to comments such as, ’What are you thinking, you can’t do that.’”
She told the surprising anecdote with tears in her eyes, saying, “It was from people that I least expected like my best friend, some of my sorority sisters, and even my grandparents.”
Despite the negative comments, Torres pushed herself to prove to others that she can achieve any goal she commits to. She said that she’s learned a lot by joining the team, information and facts about cancer research and aid organizations that she had no prior knowledge about. Exercise, health, and strategies about running are also new to her.
“There’s a lot more science to running than I ever thought,” she joked. “I’m still learning about how to breathe when I run. I forget to breathe. The most important part about running along with lacing up your shoes right is breathing.”
Funding is also part of Torres’ training, because without the funds to support her trip to San Diego, there is no check mark off the list.
“I should tell you up front that I am not an athlete, much less a runner,” she reiterated, quoting from a donation letter she sends to solicit funds:
“You may ask, then why take this trial on of 26.2 miles? Well, everyone has something they want to accomplish before a given deadline, almost like a bucket list. Running in a marathon is one of my goals to accomplish this year.”
The total cost to support Torres is $2,900 and so far she has raised 30 percent of that. Only 25 percent of the total goes toward housing and food, the rest is donated to LLS’s mission to finding cures and saving lives.
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