March 2009

Anne Mahlum motivates homeless to run and overcome

Philadelphia is called “The City of Brotherly Love” and is known as the home of the  Liberty Bell, signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the cheesesteak. But with high statistics of murder and crime reported daily on local news, it is tough to notice the people working hard to make a positive difference in this historic city. Anne Mahlum has emerged to bring the feeling of “brotherly love” back to Philadelphia and is expanding that sentiment nationally.

A native of Bismarck, N.D., Mahlum moved to Philadelphia four years ago. An athlete for as long as she can remember, Mahlum frequently hit the streets at 5:30 a.m. for her daily run. “I have always found running to be a stress reliever,” she said. “Each step reminds me that there are no unachievable dreams or unsolvable problems.” Along her route she would pass homeless people standing outside a shelter, and as the days went by, Mahlum developed a good rapport with them. “They would smile and wave, as they became comfortable with me passing by. I started wondering why I was passing them.” One day, Mahlum decided to take a chance and went into the shelter with the idea to get homeless people involved in running. “They thought I was crazy at first,” she said. But when the director at the shelter proposed the idea, nine people were on board and “Back on My Feet” (BOMF) was born. Wearing new donated shoes and clothing, the original nine, along with Mahlum and volunteers, ran their first mile through the streets of Philadelphia.

Following the motto, “Moving the homeless forward one step at a time,” BOMF members have since completed numerous marathons, including the Philadelphia 8K. BOMF has motivated more than 80 homeless people from five shelters to try and better their lives.

How does running motivate? “Running helps build confidence and self-esteem,” Mahlum said. “When we run, we are a team…a family. This helps them get back on a positive road in their lives. But it doesn’t happen overnight—it takes dedication and hard work.” As BOMF has expanded, so has the interest. With more than 400 volunteers (some also participating runners), BOMF has made national news and is sponsored by Nike, which donates running shoes and clothing to the cause of this nonprofit organization. “We have all different kinds of people participating in our marathons,” said Mahlum. “Running is the great equalizer. You can’t tell who is a doctor and who is homeless when we’re out there running together.” Those who stick with the program have the chance to win $1,000 in a contest.

But, BOMF is not about running only. The program has included bowling nights, practice with the Philadelphia 76ers on the basketball court and the BOMF bashes, which feature inspirational speeches and dinner. The success that has come from BOMF includes stories of nine homeless persons who have found employment and a new place to live. Individual stories, such as Vernon’s—who overcame drug addiction, now has a full-time job and has reconnected with his family—are what fuels motivation for others to do the same. “People need to understand that addiction can cause someone to lose everything including their home and families,” said Mahlum.

As for her own life: “I feel more alive than ever,” Mahlum said. “I have found my purpose in life.” Mahlum’s personal goal is to run in a marathon on every continent by the time she is 30. At 27, she only has two more to go—Australia and Antarctica. On the national level, Mahlum has received great exposure on ABC and CNN, where she was featured as one of the top 10 “Heroes of the Year,” in 2008 (out of 4,000 entries), a title which Mahlum is grateful for, but humble about. “It is a little overwhelming,” she said. “I feel they [the homeless] are the real heroes.” When it comes to goals for BOMF, Mahlum hopes interest will continue to grow and programs will expand nationwide. “I really believe there is a hunger for human decency,” she says.

Sidebar: Getting involved

You can make donations to Back on My Feet through the United Way at their Web site http://www.backonmyfeet.org. Those in the Philadelphia area interested in becoming a member or attending an event, can take part in an orientation held on the first and third Wednesday of each month. For more information, visit http://www.backonmyfeet.com

July 2008

Showing the true meaning of running for your life

Many of us have faced difficult challenges in our lives and may have found ourselves running away from them. After a few years down that same road, Toby Estler found that running can be a great way to help bring renewed focus to one’s life and motivate us to handle our problems in a more positive manner—changing “running from” life to “running to” life.

Born in England, Estler spent a lot of time running from various situations in his life. Defending causes he believed strongly about, he found himself running from the police. Estler would run ahead of fox hunters on their horses trying to throw off the scent of their prey. But, he also ran away from himself, his responsibilities and his life. Estler battled drugs, alcohol and smoking addictions and had a marriage that was falling apart. Then a big turning point came when he found himself behind bars at London’s infamous Wormwood Scrubs prison for a demonstration he participated in. During his three-month stay there, Estler crammed his head against the bars of the prison window to see the park beyond the prison wall. “I imagined myself free from my drab cell and out in that park running,” Estler says. “I knew it was time for a change in my life and I said to myself, ‘When I get out of here, I want to put my head on my pillow…knowing I have made the very most of that day that I could.’”

Months after his release in 1994, Estler immigrated to America and started anew in Long Beach, Calif. He wanted to keep his promise for a life change, but found that as a former 60-cigarette-a-day smoker and former addict, it would be difficult for him even to run a mile. Estler then found inspiration in the runner’s philosopher, Dr. George Sheehan, who wrote Going the Distance: One Man’s Journey to the End of His Life (Villard, 1996). Estler ran that mile and then he ran 5 miles, then 10—soon he was running his first marathon. “I found that I was no longer running from something, but I was running to something. I was running to the life I wanted,” says Estler, who was also able to salvage his broken marriage. “Addictions, broken promises, missed opportunities and bad habits have all been washed away in the sweat of a good run,” says Estler.

Now 43, Estler hopes his book, (Running Home: 35 Moving Meditations for Runners (Robert D. Reed Publishers, 2007), will inspire others to make positive life changes. Where does meditation come into play when it comes to running? Eslter explains, “Runners tend to relate to running faster or farther. With meditation you experience running deeper. It helps push through the emotional pain you might be experiencing and open up an inner experience.” Estler says that exercise in general is a great way to help channel energy and can also help those fighting addiction problems. “It is no secret. Numerous studies show that exercise stimulates neurotransmitters which elevate mood and reduce depression and anxiety. Get enough of them and you’ll experience what is known as a runner’s high,” Estler says.

Though he shares some intimate experiences and his book has a spiritual tone to it at times, Estler says anyone can benefit from it, even those who are not religious or not into running. “For some it may be walking, dancing, Rollerblading^®, kayaking, yoga or even lawn bowling. Whatever your preference, a regular commitment to physical exercise offers a foundation for life transformation,” says Estler.

In addition to writing his book and running marathons, Estler also works as a personal coach for runners, a small business coach, and has made several appearances as a motivational public speaker. He is also involved in many fundraising efforts. In March, Estler ran in the Los Angeles Marathon and helped to raise $650,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and worked as a writer in a fundraising capacity for the UCLA Neuro-Oncology Unit to raise money for medical resources to help detect, treat and cure brain cancer.

As far as future ventures, Estler may challenge an ultramarathon but wants to continue to motivate others, spend quality time with his wife and daughter, and continue running to be the very best he can be.                                                                                   

May 2008

This strong man has youth on his side

Kevin Nee: A fierce competitor!

Only the strong survive.  If you are a competitor in the World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Competition, this statement can’t be truer. Kevin Nee is not only a competitor, but at 19, he was the youngest to enter the WSM competition.

Born in Hopeville, Mass., Nee first became interested in building his muscles at The Body Shop, a local gym in Milford, Mass. At 13, Nee learned as much as he could from the weightlifters around him and with a great deal of determination and commitment, he became much bigger and stronger in just a few years. “I tried to learn as much as I could and it paid off,” Nee says. “Soon after, I met a local strongman, Bruce Tessier, who had me lifting tires and atlas stones.” Both feats are part of the WSM competitions which air on ESPN.

Now 23, Nee competes about eight times a year around in the U.S. and abroad, including events in Poland, England, Ireland and China. He has been featured in Men’s Fitness in “The Top 25 Fittest Men.” In between competing, Nee managed to finish college at ArizonaStateUniversity and earned a BA in logistics management. But Nee has a goal in mind somewhat different from being a logistician. “I want to be the world’s strongest man,” Nee says. Nee finished in second place behind the the World’s Strongest Man, Mariusz Pudzianowski, in competitions at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut in 2007. Pudzianowski has referred to Nee as “The Next,” because he is bound to take the WSM title some day. The average age of competitors is 30, which gives Nee plenty of time to perfect his competitions and achieve his goal.

At 6-feet-1 and 275 pounds, Nee trains two to three hours a night, six nights a week. His training includes power lifting, bodybuilding and speed lifting. He can dead lift 870 pounds. Training like this can’t be done on an empty stomach though. Nee packs in between 5,000 to 7,000 calories a day eating steak, eggs, pasta, burgers, chicken, and he always leaves room for desserts such as ice cream. Maintaining this type of discipline is certainly tough for a young guy who, at times, would rather be out with his girlfriend, playing poker, fishing or listening to the Allman Brothers. But his discipline has sure paid off, as the WSM events are no picnics. The events include:

• Log Press—Lifting a metal log (approx. 255 pounds) overhead
• Atlas Stones—Carrying stones, each weighing between 300 to 500 pounds, to a designated finish line
• Farmer’s Walk—Carrying two items, such as anvils, in separate hands (approx. 275 to 375 pounds) at maximum speed to a designated finish line
• Yoke—Usually consists of carrying refrigerators on a crossbar across the shoulders.

Nee’s favorite competition is the Deadlift. “It’s just something I have always been good at. It’s my best competing event,” Nee says. Deadlifts usually include lifting cars, though some of the more unusual items he had to lift include slot machines and a truck filled with bikini-clad women. When it comes to his least favorite competitions, “The Fingal’s Fingers,” Nee explains, “I’m not that good at it; and when it’s done wrong it can be horribly ugly.” The Fingal’s Fingers involves flipping five poles in ascending order at 180 degrees. The competitor to flip all five poles first wins. Another area where Nee feels he needs improvement is his speed because many of the events require carrying items to a goal at the fastest speed. Nee admires Pudzianowski because he is so well-rounded in all the events. “He has it all,” Nee says. “He is an all-around athlete. He has boxed, played rugby, has speed and excellent stamina…he’s a machine.”

With such fierce competition and extraordinary events, the fear of injury is always there for Nee. “I hurt my back and tore some biceps fibers in VeniceBeach, but overall I’ve been very lucky as far as injuries,” Nee says. Nee’s family also worries about him being injured, but are supportive of his goal to be the strongest man and attend events when they can.

Out of the places where Nee enjoys competing, Mohegan Sun is his favorite. “It’s just a beautiful place and a great atmosphere to compete,” he says. He also enjoys taking in a little poker while he is there. In addition to his dream of being the strongest man, Nee has opened his own gym called Strengthworks in Tempe, Ariz. “I want to show people what a real gym should look like,” he says, “not just a place to jump on a treadmill.” As far as other aspirations, “I would love to settle down and raise a family someday,” Nee says. Considering the goals he has accomplished in his life so far, this goal should be within his reach too.