By Ashley Foy
When you come across former Student Government Association president Andrew Froning an undeniable transformation seems to have taken place.
Not only is he in top shape physically, a certain sense of happiness and positive energy exudes from Froning now more than ever before. Keeping an 11 minute pace at a 15 mile distance and being 20 pounds lighter than he was just a few months ago, recent training seems to have had a great impact on Froning.
“Reciprocal benefits where both sides reap the benefits are always the best,” said Froning.
Clearly motivated by his Team in Training program, Froning is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.
On April 30 Froning will run a 26.2 mile marathon on a team with 11 other Connecticut residents at the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tenn. The cause is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Leukemia and lymphoma are blood cancers that originate in the bone marrow or lymphatic tissues.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society website states that in the United States someone is diagnosed with blood cancer every four minutes and that every 10 minutes someone dies from it. Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer in youth under twenty according to the website.
Froning was personally drawn to this cause because his cousin was diagnosed with leukemia at seven years old. Now in remission and living a healthy college life, Froning decided to choose this cause in honor of him. Having always been a blood donor due to family history, Froning decided to take his dedication to the cause to the next level while also checking off running a marathon from his personal bucket list.
The marathon was started over 20 years ago by a leukemia victim’s widow in Connecticut. She raised $50,000 in the first marathon for the cause. A few years later in New York Team in Training formed and the cause has since raised over $1 billion for life-saving research among the state chapters in existence today.
The marathon can be walked or done in half the distance for those who would prefer not to run or go the full distance. Froning has opted to train his hardest to run the full 26.2 miles and the decision changed his entire lifestyle.
“As my New Year’s resolution I kicked alcohol for a month and a half and now I only drink on special social occasions,” Froning said. “I meet with my trainers and [Team in Training] mentors every weekend for running and track my runs on an iPhone application. I feel better physically and spiritually. I know this is not just benefiting me but many others in the community as well.”
Froning, who took an oath of poverty for a year of service with the AmeriCorps VISTA program in September, mentions a negative generation shift among today’s youth.
“Our grandparents learned that they should help others, which we have not. It has become a trend which I do not like, not helping out your fellow human being. It does appear though that overall general help is on the rise, especially since the disaster in Haiti,” said Froning.
Froning’s necessary fundraising goal of $2,500 has not yet been reached. As of March 14 he had received $2,030 in donations. Froning’s personal goal is to raise $3,500.