“All it take is 20 seconds of insane courage to change the world.”
I always think of this team and its members when I hear that. We are changing the world. Please don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean in the light-bulb-sliced-bread kind of way but in a tiny-spark-starting-a-fire kind of way.
This post is for those that hear me and others say that and wonder(quietly OR loudly): What is Team CMMD? What are those people doing out there? Why should I care?
I am CMMD. Christine Meyer, MD. When my staff starting calling me that, they were making fun of the new practice logo I was infatuated with. I put it on everything. My mother got it tattooed on her chest (ok temporary but still.) After a while, “Christine” and “Dr. Meyer” and “Hey, you!” were all replaced with: CMMD.
TEAM CMMD is MY running team.
We are a motley crew thrown together by accident on a late December day in 2012. I hated cancer, and frankly at that moment, myself for my ineptitude against that horrendous disease. On a cold dreary New Year’s Eve day, I called on a handful of friends to run Broad Street and raise a bit of money for the American Cancer Society (well that’s what my text message said.) Really in my head was a firestorm of self-loathing. People are dying. Your aunt is fighting for her life. You are not doing anything for anybody. How long are you going to prattle around pretending you are making a difference–one sore throat at a time...and on and on….
Well, most of you know what happened next. My friends jumped on board. More friends joined. We raised money– a lot of money. We ran Broad Street. Then, we did it again. We raised more money: nearly a quarter of a million dollars to be exact. Just two months ago, we formed Team CMMD Foundation –a non-profit organization. Our mission is three-fold. We run strong. We fight cancer. We make a difference.
Yes, we have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. Our original team of four is now a team of 612. We have impacted the lives of people less fortunate and the lives of each other. And, my friends, we are just getting started.Someone last year asked me about my vision for this team…On December 31, 2012 my vision was to cross the finish line in the Navy Yard up right.
Tonight, I still don’t have the full grasp of what this team is capable of. I am surprised every single day. So, for those who wonder where we plan to go, all I can say is this. Find that 20 seconds of courage and hold on tight. It is going to be one amazing ride.