A New Kind of Athlete

There seems to be a new kind of athlete around these days. It is no longer "enough" to run in the local 5K, or even to complete a marathon. For many, it is not enough to "merely" complete a century ride (as if this is easy!). It is not enough for these adrenaline-seeking athletes to reach for and attain the average, garden variety fitness goals. What is more important is that this new kind of athlete does not compete for fame, or records, or for the world to see, but rather for something far bigger than even their own athletic accomplishments.

These athletes are hungering for something more. Sure, they want to see what they can accomplish that is audaciously bigger than anything they have done before, like Race Across America. Chris Bowlus, a board member with Team Donate Life made it clear in 2005 that this was not a stroll across america, but rather a Race Across America. The goal is to get to Atlantic City from San Diego as fast as possible. It really is not about winning, it is clearly about the adventure, the experience of living and completing it as a team.

From my vantage point, they want something even bigger. These athletes are growing tired of merely living for themselves. My take is that people are downright bored with living a self-focused life. They are hungry for ways to live for something bigger than themselves, something above and beyond what they could possibly do or achieve on their own. These folks long to live for a cause, a compelling mission to embrace and tie to their passion for extreme sports. They are seeking an adventure that is, as Lance Armstrong said, "...not about the bike."

Why would a group of everyday athletes and crew burn 5600 vacation hours, spend $250,000, sacrifice 2,000 hours of sleep, climb 5,500,000 feet in elevation, eat 750 Clif Bars and race their bikes 120,000 miles, not to mention the approximately 10,000 hours of training before the race even begins? For fun? Uhhh..., sure. For the adventure? Of course. Because they are nuts? Quite possibly. They say it helps. Because it is "there"? That line is already taken.

Close to 100,000 people in America are waiting for an organ transplant. More than 1/3 of the people waiting die before a donor can be found. The current pool of donors in America could meet the needs of less than half of those waiting. While Team Donate Life competes in Race Across America, close to 250 people will die while awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant. Another 750 people will be added to the waiting list.

From it's inception at UC Davis Medical Center, TDL has always possessed grand plans. As we approach 2007 and our involvement in RAAM, our dreams and goals only become greater. Team Donate Life alone will compromise close to 20% of Race Across America entrants. Unprecedented.

Yet, ALL of this pales in comparision to the most ridiculously huge goal of seeing 40,000,000 more Americans register to become an organ donor. In partnership with Donate Life America and dozens of Coaltiion members, TDL has been afforded the privilege of being a major platform to increase awareness, dispel myths and encourage people to register.

If you haven't done so already, go to www.DonateLife.net and register today! I did it, knowing that my life can save the lives of up to eight other people. I have no idea how long I will live. My commitment is to live well, so that others may simply live.

It really is about giving life.

KM

No Stopping Him

While the Life Flight helicopter waited in the middle of the freeway, it took workers 90 minutes to extract the horribly injured driver from underneath the big rig. The good news was that he was driving a Range Rover. The bad news was that he was clinging to life with multiple fractures and severe head trauma. Upon arrival at the hospital, he was rushed into surgery, where the situation got even worse. He had suffered a stroke. His speech centers were completely gone, as was ability to walk. Titanium rods and plates were inserted in his femur, knee and forearm. Thus began the long road to recovery at Craig Rehab Hospital in Denver - one of the world's finest, yet a place where very few patients walk away from on their own two feet. After a few months, He did exactly that. And, in the long months to follow, he worked furiously to regain his life - all of it! That's just the way Dave is. Nothing stops him. By Summer of 2005, he was competing in triathlons! Because he is Dave (and there is nobody quite like him), there was no way he would stop at that. In June 07 Dave will get on his bike in Oceanside, CA and compete in Race Across America with Team Donate Life. The RAAM rules are silent on whether it is permissible to ride with a titanium femur. No matter. He's back! PS - Because of Dave's fight to recover, I knew that I could do what it took to change my own life. I draft on his amazing courage and hard work. That guy will simply not quit! And neither will I.

Mile By Mile

In 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, habit #1 is to "Begin with the end in mind." Envision the "finish line," whether it be the actual finish line of RAAM, reaching your individual or team fundraising goal, or looking ahead to what you want to accomplish in the time you have left on earth.

Several years ago I had the opportunity to direct the start up of a high-end senior care community here in Sacramento. The vision of the owners was to create the very best in senior care in the entire industry. As the building was being built, my job (and my team) was to brand the name in the region and create an image of us being the "top-end" provider. How could we say such a thing? We didn't even have a sales trailer on the property! It was because of the vision and values of the company. We had seemingly impossible goals and dreams. We began with the end in mind. So here's what happened: The "competition" began to notice and squirm a bit. Some said what we were attempting could not be done, not in Sacramento. We were too expensive, too glitzy for Sacramento. There was nothing that could stop us, however. Why? We lived every day with the end in mind. We were proud of our "brand." But, underlying all of our efforts was a fundamental principle: "Nobody succeeds until we all do." In Team Donate Life, no one of us succeeds until we all do. That is why we call it TEAM Donate Life. Duh.

See the connection? You will succeed at fundraising, training and preparation for RAAM by doing it all TOGETHER. We (TDL) will not succeed until we all do. The cool thing about racing on a team in RAAM is that no matter how fast you ride, there is no success until your whole team reaches the finish line. Look at raising money in a similar vein. Keep you eye on the big, bold overall goal of fundraisiang. Think big, act big, be proud of our "brand."

It is really easy for me to represent and talk up Team Donate Life. Many are watching as the groundswell of Team Donate Life rumbles. Tell your story, your emotional tie to our mission. Talk with passion about why you have become insane enough to train for and compete in RAAM. There will be plenty of pundits out there who will say it can't be done. Others will stand on the side of the road and watch, some with skepticism, others with awe. But not you. You have chosen to jump in. You have taken a huge step of courage and vision to raise a abunch of money, ride thousands of miles, invest a ton of your time and make a host of other sacrifices to do this.

So, do you have the end in mind? Sure, you still have to ride, mile by mile. Envision raising money in a similar light. Ask people to support you financially, mile by mile. Challenge people to "buy" a Time Station so you can get to your destination. As you roll out your plan, send letters, make phone calls, meet folks for coffee, host a fundraising party, etc., allow the process to unfold. It will. Trust me, I did it. I lived for 15 years depending on the financial contributions of indviduals who believed in me and the mission for which I was living. If I can do it, so can you. It is all hard work...and tons of patience. I may sound whacky when I say, "trust the process."

The senior care community I directed was wildly successful. Why? We stayed with it. We were patient. Failure was not an option. We saw it through to what we envisioned it could be.

By the time you reach the finish line in RAAM, you will really "get it:" You succeeded, because you ALL did. You did it together, as a team. And the mission of thousands more organ donors will be accomplished.

Mulkman

Who Really Gives?

It is one thing to talk about giving to charity. In fact, it is quite a chic thing to do. It is another thing altogether to actually GIVE to charity. Who really gives? People who want to live a fuller, richer, healthier life. People who have huge, open and generous hearts. I don't really like the word "charity." I rather use the word "cause" or "mission" or "opportunity." To me, charity implies that we are looking for a handout. People rarely give to "needs." People do give to a dream, to a purpose that is much bigger and more bold than they could create on their own. People give to what stirs their heart. Interestingly, people who believe fervently in government entitlement programs give far less than those who reject the notion that the government should engage in income redistribution. Why do YOU give? You believe in and trust the person who is asking. You see where your money is going. Giving to your favorite "cause" just plain feels good. When I set out to raise money or forge corporate partnerships, it is all about providing the giver an opportunity to get on board with where I (and my cause) are going. At Team Donate Life, we dream BIG. The people who founded TDL have big hearts, big eyes and big plans for TDL to become a powerful presence in both the endurance cycling world and in the organ donation community. 15 years ago, Team in Training had NO idea what they would become. Susan G. Komen started out of someone's spare bedroom. Hmm...kinda like TDL. But that doesn't matter. What really matters is being a catalyst to get 40,000,000 more americans to sign the donor registry by April of 2008. What matters is showing off to the world that there really is life after transplantation. So, before you ask anyone else to give, do a self-check on why YOU give. Then, give!

Can life really be this good?

In the past 15 months, I quit drinking alcohol, I now exercise daily (I now even practice yoga!), eat a ridiculously healthy diet, have lost 60 lbs. and am training to ride my bike in Race Across America. And I used to think that running the Boston Marathon would be my ultimate fitness accomplishment! Not only am I going to ride in RAAM, I am blown away at the opportunity to direct one of the coolest organizations around - Team Donate Life. Just today we registered 35 people who are choosing to race with Team Donate Life in RAAM 2007. 35 people? Yep, over 20% of all RAAM entrants. Don't ask me how all of this came about. What I do know is that Jason Weckworth, a live kidney donor and co-founder of Team Donate Life could feel the earth rumbling that Team Donate Life would one day be very big. But this soon? After only 2 years in existence, TDL is becoming quite the buzz in the endurance cycling and transplant communities. On that life-altering day in the Summer of 05, I would have laughed out loud if someone told me I would be an exhibitor two years later at the National Transplant Congress. The what? Not sure. Dr. Perez, the Transplant Chief at UC Davis Medical Center said I should be there to show off Team Donate Life. Heck, why not?

Life really IS this good. Certainly, it is not just by accident. I took inventory of my life and chose to recreate it into something new and wonderful. I began to believe that Kent Mulkey deserved to be happy and live a life of passion. Someone recently suggested that perhaps I am becoming obsessed with the cycling thing. Duh! but, I still have to call Half-Draft to ask him the names of parts and gear I am about to purchase at the local bike shop. Gotta look and sound good on the way to becoming good! It's guys like Half-Draft, Pencilneck, Phatty and Fatty that have demonstrated great patience and encouragement as the miles begain pling up and the fat began to melt away.

Now, go ride your bike. Tell folks about the opportunity to save lives by donating their organs. it really is that simple to make a huge difference. Close to 100,000 people are waiting.

Mulkman