“You can do these races to change the lives of those kids in
Haiti,” founder of Team World Vision, Michael Chitwood said at the Chicago
Marathon Leaders Conference on Mar. 29.
Marathon runners gathered together in Chicago to listen to
motivational speakers like Anthony Halpin and Wendy Ploegstra, who ran the
Comrades Marathon, and Steve Spear, who ran from Los Angeles to New York last
summer. Leaders for Team World Vision also discussed with how to encourage
their teams to stay strong and connect other runners.
Rusty Funk, Team World Vision coordinator, opened the
eight-hour conference explaining that World Vision’s role as the leading
provider of clean water in the developing world.
Chitwood spoke next. He explained how running for wells can
change lives by providing access to safe water in places like Kenya, Ethiopia,
Zambia, Uganda, and Rwanda.
“Team World Vision is for everybody from every walk of
life,” Chitwood said to the group that will lead a team of runners through
training and raising funds for the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 12.
The mission of Team World Vision is to give people the
opportunity of life changing experience, a physical, spiritual, and community
experience, and radically change the lives of children on the other side of the
planet, Chitwood said.
People then broke up into small groups to discuss the
importance of team captains for Team World Vision, the characteristics of a
good team captain, and to come up with a mission statement.
“Keeping people focused on the goal, the purpose, the
reason,” said Ryan Criss, team captain of Missio Dei Church in Chicago. “I
think it’s difficult in the midst of the training. It gets discouraging and
tiring, but if you have someone to remind you why we’re running, why we’re
doing this, it sort of reenergizes people.”
Wesley Sproul, leader of Olivet’s team, said to his group
discussion that it’s important for team captains to inspire unity, create a
welcoming environment, and have a heart of service.
At the end of the conference, leaders received an iron-on
“C” for their World Vision jerseys. The “C” stands for captain, Funk said.
“It’s about being vulnerable to the people you are leading.”
He said the “C” also opens up communication between leaders
and team members by saying, “You can ask me questions. I’m here for you.”
Later that afternoon, leaders were encouraged to discuss
fundraising goals and opportunities. Marathon runner Stephen Rexroth said,
“Running didn’t bother me. Fund raising terrified me. But you’re not begging
people to give you money, you’re inviting them to join your mission.”
A lot of people go from running nothing to running a
marathon, which is an amazing experience, but add raising $5,000 and “it’s
something like you’ve never felt before,” Haplin said. “Let your life be
changed because of the fundraising,” he said.
Spear, keynote speaker, then described the seemingly
impossible obstacles he overcame during his 3,081 miles across the country.
The most discouraging week was in Illinois last July. Having
gotten over the flu the week before and trying to make up for lost time, Spear
ran the equivalent of seven marathons in seven days with a heat index of more
than 115 degrees.
“We serve a God who makes the invisible visible,” Spear
said. “It’s not really how many miles we run or the speed in which we cover
them, but it’s the fact that we move, and we keep moving one faithful step in
front of the other.”
