Inspired to Run: Tim Hamburger's Mission to Fight Cancer

By Kim Brohm

In the fall of 1992, Tim Hamburger decided he was through. He gave up on running. Growing up in Columbus , Ohio , Hamburger spent most of his childhood as a runner, running track and cross country in middle school and in college where he earned a scholarship to run at Miami University of Ohio. He then moved to Pittsburgh and was sponsored to run by the Asics shoe company. And then he was done. After years of running, Hamburger hung up his shoes. He was officially burnt out.

A few years later in April of 1994 a young boy from Pittsburgh named Matt Lewis was diagnosed with cancer, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. An average seven- year-old boy who loved playing hockey, little league baseball, and even running would now have to undergo intense chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Although the bone marrow transplant would be a success his battle with cancer would not be over.

Five years after giving up on running, like a twist of fate, Hamburger felt compelled to run the Boston Marathon. He began training for the 1999 Boston Marathon on his own in November of 1997.

Then Hamburger received a brochure in the mail to attend an informational meeting for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. The program, designed to raise money for cancer research through endurance events such as marathons, instantly caught Hamburger's interest.

“I thought the whole thing was pretty neat,” said Hamburger. “I loved kids but didn't have any yet. Seeing kids in need just tugs at my heart strings.”

In January, Hamburger went to the meeting to see what the Team in Training program was all about. Also in attendance was an eleven year-old boy, Matt Lewis, who had now been in remission for almost four years. Hamburger listened to the staff talk about raising funds to help patients in need. And then he met Matt.

“It all sounded good but I wasn't completely sold,” said Hamburger. “Then Matt started to talk and it got to me. He sold me more than anyone else that day. He was just thanking people for helping and not once asked anyone for help.”

Hamburger signed up for the Team in Training. Not having ever met Matt before, Hamburger became inspired by his story and was randomly assigned to be Matt's sponsor or Patient Hero.

“We had only lived in our neighborhood for six months. When my wife looked at Matt's address she noticed that he lived right around the corner,” said Hamburger. “I called his Mom right away and asked if he wanted to join in my training for the marathon.”

“We became best friends. We became family,” said Hamburger. “We would do long runs together and then hang out at the house. I got the opportunity to teach him about the history of running and in return he taught me about courage, strength, compassion, and so many life lessons.”

Hamburger ran the San Diego marathon. Despite extreme dehydration he finished in 3 hours and 6 minutes, just barely making the 3 hour and 10 minute qualifying time for Boston .

That accomplishment was soon followed by extreme disappointment. When Hamburger went to the Lewis house to tell them about the race he discovered Matt's cancer had returned.

“It was devastating,” said Hamburger. “I remember going home and running the hardest run on the treadmill. I was angry. I couldn't imagine what his family was going through.”

That news convinced Hamburger to run Boston as a fundraiser. He had already raised $8,000 for San Diego . This time he would raise $10,000.

“I think it was just my way of dealing with (the news),” said Hamburger. “It just grew into this thing where family members and co-workers were always asking me how Matt was doing.”

The Boston Marathon became one of the most memorable races for Hamburger. He vividly remembers the 1.5 million spectators and thinking how he would never be able to find Matt and his family who had come to watch him in the crowd. As he made his way up to the 17 th mile he immediately saw a wondering kid out on the course. Worried the kid was going to get trampled he soon realized that it was Matt running towards him.

“That wasn't my fastest or best race by any means, but what it meant to me makes it the most memorable,” said Hamburger.

A month after the race Matt went into remission and has been ever since.

“The second time Matt got sick a lot of people gave up on him,” said Hamburger. “He showed everyone not to give up on hope. It makes you think what a gift life is.”

For almost nine years Tim Hamburger has been working to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through his involvement with Team in Training as a coach and a participant. He has also remained close with Matt, who is now a 19 year-old student at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh , and the Lewis family. He has collected over $55,000 in just four events by diligently writing letters to family and co-workers. Other donations have even come from complete strangers who hear his story or have been touched by cancer in some way.

Hamburger is not only amazed at the generosity of people but also at the commitment people have to train and prepare for races, all with the goal of helping cancer patients. While in Pittsburgh , Hamburger was a coach for Team in Training. He would organize group runs and bike rides. Most of the people he worked with had never raced before.

“A lot of people who train are not necessarily fitness buffs but just want to get involved,” said Hamburger. “They get the benefit of helping others but also they start to realize that they can do these activities. They get back into a healthy frame of mind and go on to be active and do more fundraising.”

Hamburger puts as much energy into helping others train as he does his own fundraising. One day he helped a woman finish an 80 mile bike ride. It took her 10 hours to complete the ride that normally would have taken Hamburger only four hours to finish.

“She sacrificed her time just as much and showed dedication and commitment to the cause,” said Hamburger. “If she needed my support and confidence then I was going to give it to her. People sacrifice so many hours to help others that the least I could do is go out and support them.”

One gentleman in his fifties, who had battled cancer, decided he wanted to try and bike a 100 mile century. Although he was hesitant at first, Hamburger convinced him that they would get to the finish.

“He came out to practice religiously. I remember riding with him in Tahoe and letting him go ahead to cross the finish line alone. He had tears in his eyes and told me he would never have done it without me,” said Hamburger. “That's what makes this the most rewarding volunteer position, to see the sacrifice and appreciation.”

Now at the age of 40, Hamburger is training to run the PF Chang's Rock-N-Roll marathon in Phoenix , Arizona on January 14 th . He recently moved to Louisville as a district manager for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and has started training with Louisville 's own Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. He has already raised a total of almost $10,000 with the help of his wife Sharon, and two young boys Jack Matthew and Luke.

Boston may have been years ago, but Hamburger still looks back on that first race with fond memories and how it changed his life. His inspiration comes from Matt and others close to him who have been affected by cancer.

“When Matt go sick the second time I was the first person his family called. It made me really appreciate the responsibility and to know I would always be a part of their family,” said Hamburger. “Running became a job in ‘92. It will never be a job anymore but more like a mission. Now it's easy to go out and run when I'm tired and had a long day. I know that it will never be as much pain as those that have fought to battle cancer.”

Kim Brohm is a graduate of Spalding University with a B.A. in English where she was a three-sport athlete. Kim has an MBA from the University of Louisville . E-mail address is kimbrohm@hotmail.com.