You are our “Inspirational Coaches” – we run for YOU and all the other cancer warriors every day!
BEN:
Ben is our first patient, who named our team after, well the most obvious animal to represent a fight against all odds: the platypus! You try to swim with a duck bill or lay eggs while being called ‘mammal’!
Ben finished his treatment at Rady’s Childrens Hospital for ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia) in the fall of 2016 and what did he do a few days after?: He ran the Las Vegas Half Marathon! He is the founder of Team Platypus and always our inspiration to fight adversity full force with a smile on your face!
His wish to see a live platypus came true when Make-a-Wish took him on a trip to Australia! See his wish being granted by Make-a-Wish (sponsored by Isagenix) HERE.
Please view Ben’s amazing video of the PLATYPUS encounter in Australia.
Together with Bernard and Chris, he was one of the honored patients of the Team in Training season 2015/16 and several teams united to form ‘Team b.strong’ to collect $333,333 in order to get THREE research grants named in their honor! We can all agree that ‘3’ is indeed a lucky number – look at that total!!
DEION:
“The Randle family is very strong and tough”, says Elisa, Deion’s mom. Deion was diagnosed in 2013 with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and underwent one year of chemotherapy. He is now back in school and playing a strong season of football!
On Feb 6, 2017 Deion passed the 3 year mark since his diagnosis, now in remission – way to go Deion! You got this!
Elisa ran the triple crown San Diego with TnT in 2015 in his honor!
VICKY:
Vicky is our angel patient, who fought leukemia hard and strong. She lost her fight against leukemia in 2011 at the age of 23.
Team Platypus’ runner Maureen, who is Vicky’s aunt, is running in her honor and together with the team, Maureen is inspired to run one of her strongest runs ever!
Vicky’s mom, Helen, says, ‘This is one of my favorite pictures of Vicki – so beautiful and full of confidence. This is how I picture her in heaven! My girl knew how to have fun!”
BERNARD:
Bernard has been part of Team in Training since we started Team Platypus in 2013. He battled leukemia (AML) and fought his battle with strong chemo and a bone marrow transplant from his sister! Bernard is an amazing athlete and recovered fast to run several races with Team in Training! In 2016 he was fighting round 2 of his battle and received a second bone marrow transplant in March 2016. He again is in remission and running the San Diego Rock n Roll in June 2017! What an inspiration!
Together with Ben and Chris, he was one of the honored patients of the Team in Training season 2015/16 and several teams united to form ‘Team b.strong’ to collect $333,333 in order to get THREE research grants named in their honor! We can all agree that ‘3’ is indeed a lucky number – look at that total!!