Welcome to Miles With Meaning
Thank you
for taking the time to view our site. We are an all-inclusive Team of
athletes/participants from all levels who want to make a difference when
we are active in our events. When you participate in events such as 5Ks,
10K, half marathons, marathons, ultra marathons, cycling events,
triathlons etc., you can now make your statement heard. How? We offer
Tech Shirts that You personalize.
We invite you to use Miles With Meaning™ Tech Shirt to express your
personal passions. On the back of each shirt, there is a place to add a
name, an organization you love or someone that you want to inspire. These "interactive" shirts are meant for
personal expression. If you're running, walking, cycling or just
training for an event you can let people know the deeper reason for your
personal motivation.
We encourage people to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
This is our personal passion and this is one way we feel we can share
this goal with all of you.
Live the Adventure!
How We Started
Great
projects always seem to begin with a great source of inspiration. Nancy
Sauter was my great inspiration for Miles with Meaning™.
Nancy is the kind of person you only need to meet once and within the
first minutes, you can't help but consider her a lifetime friend. No
matter what new adventure I had embarked upon, Nancy was always there
asking for the daily update on my progress. Whether it was running a 5K
race or taking on my first ½ marathon, she was a loyal supporter.
A few months back, I was onto the next step in my training and was
preparing for a race called Howey in the Hills ½ Marathon. This would be
part of my preparation toward my first 26.2 mile marathon commitment.
Every day, Nancy would enthusiastically ask me how my training was
going. No matter what the answer was, she would give me wonderful words
of encouragement.
It was at this same time Nancy had been given the news that she had been
cancer free for 5 years. This was the magic number - 5 years. Make it to
this mark, and you are in the clear, or so she was told.
One day shortly after the wonderful news, I called the training facility
and anticipated Nancy answering the phone. I was told she was in the
hospital and it was serious. I immediately phoned her husband who told
me that Nancy was dying. He informed me that her liver was failing due
to the cancer treatments she had been given. I couldn't believe what I
had just heard. What happened to the magic 5 years?
I did get to see Nancy while she was in the hospital. I remember leaving
that day, thinking there should be someway to show your support for
people like Nancy. A type of “running prayer” and so, this was the start
of Miles with Meaning™.
It began with a runner, a friend and the desire to let people know how
much she was in my prayers, even during a race. I raced Howey in the
Hills with Nancy on my mind the whole race. Later I was told she died
that same day.
Heavy hearts can also be inspired ones. Out of this experience, I
created this idea, this site and these shirts (for starters). It is a
way of letting her family and perhaps Nancy, know that she impacted my
life in such a favorable way.
She is missed by many but remembered forever.
- Lisa Leitl
Email: MarathonerLisa@yahoo.com
