I BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF LOVE AND THE ABILITY TO CHANGE. TO DO MORE AND TO BE MORE. THE POWER OF ONE!!!

I have lived most of my life absorbed in fears and I have fully experienced the disconnection of my authentic self. In the last year and a half, I have been moved in taking action in my life. In the past, I really took time for granted, I thought there was plenty of time in life to get things accomplished. However, in the fall of 2001, I was shown on a grand scale - THAT TIME WILL NOT WAIT!!!

I am 28 years old and for 20 of those years, I have been overweight. It has consumed my existence and left me feeling like a failure who doesn't really matter in the world. But deep down, I know better than that.

Well, I have wasted enough time! I am choosing to break my old patterns and habits and replace them with the best ones I can think of. Each day is a gift and I will not waste another one feeling sorry for myself, beating myself up, or not fully living my life. Since July 25, 2002, I have lost 80 pounds. I am exercising my body and my mind daily and eating a very healthy and clean diet. By July of this year, I will have lost over 100 pounds! I am so proud of all the changes I am making in all areas of my life. I have always known that I am here on Earth to serve and inspire others towards creating positive changes in their lives. The only catch is, I must begin to love and heal myself first. THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE AND BE MORE IS A CHOICE. HOW I LIVE MY LIFE IS ALSO A CHOICE. My life path is revealed and confirmed by the inspiration and hope of Martin Luther King, JR., he said, "Everyone has the power for greatness, not for fame, but for greatness, because greatness is determined by service."

One of the greatest humans I have ever known, Pete Suazo, died in August 2001, in an accident. The greatest gift he left with me, was his example of how he used his life to help and love others. He is my inspiration to make my life matter as he incredibly did everyday with his. I believe that some of the most rewarding acts we can do as humans, is care about each other more, help people out whenever we can, in what ever capacity we can, and to challenge ourselves daily to be better people. I am striving to be generous with my time, my efforts and my money and as a result, I will help make the world a better place. Our friend, Pete, made an astounding difference in the world and I want to honor him by using my life to help others in as many ways as I can.

Running a marathon has NEVER been anything I ever thought I would want to do or decide to even try. As a matter of fact, I have spent my whole life avoiding any kind of running, unless when being chased of course. I could never understand why any normal, sane person would choose to run a 26.2 mile marathon. It just sounds crazy, right? Oh yah! I'm here to tell you that I HAVE COMMITTED MYSELF TO RUNNIG NOT ONE, BUT THREE MARATHONS THIS YEAR. I have joined with "TEAM IN TRAINING (TNT)," the largest endurance sports training program in the world. Their mission is to train participants to walk or run a marathon, half marathon(13.1 miles), or cycle a 100 mile century ride. All while raising funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). I will run my first marathon in Anchorage, Alaska on June 21st, the second in Dublin, Ireland on October 27th and the third in Honolulu, Hawaii in December 2003. I must be crazy, but for very good reasons.

Originally, I was only planning on raising $4500 to run one marathon in Anchorage on the Summer Solstice. Now that I really am learning, hearing and seeing how important and profound of an effect this Society immediately has because of their dedication to research and patient aid programs; I am inspired to do something even greater. I AM DEDICATING ONE YEAR OF MY LIFE TO RAISE ONE MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY TO CURE LEUKEMIA, LYMPHOMA,HODGKINS DISEASE AND MYELOMA AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS ABD THEIR FAMILIES. Finding a cure for leukemia will mean great strides in curing all cancers. Leukemia research is conscidered to be the window to the treatment and cure for other cancars as well as AIDS. Leukemia remains the #1 disease killer of children under age 15 and it effects 10 times as many adults. It is estimated that leukemia and its related cancers strike some 107,900 Americans each year and kills 60,500. THE RESEARCH IS WORKING! Just 25 years ago, only 5% of children diagnosed with leukemia survived. Today, 81% of children diagnosed with leukemia and 93% of those with Hodgkin's disease WILL LIVE! Thanks to the research funded by people involved with projects like TEAM IN TRAINING and hopefully people like you.

I want to invite you to participate in these three marathons with me and help fight for people's lives, without leaving the comfort of your own home. As the saying goes, "You'll never know unless you ask." So here is the question...WILL YOU PLEASE HELP? I will do all the running (26.2 miles x's 3). In return, I am asking for your help by supporting my committment with your TAX DEDUCTABLE donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

As the first step towards reaching my goal, I personally donated $100. I encourage you to give generously, as much as you can. YOUR DONATION WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE because it will be used for research, patient aid and public and professional education programs of the LLS. I will personally be grateful for any donation you choose to give, whether it is $5 or $500,000.

If you have someone special you would like me to run in honor of, please let me know. It would be my pleasure to represent them and acknowledge their battle and their strength. I also invite you to share their story with me, so that I may in turn share it with others to assist in raising awareness and funds.

PLEASE HELP ME CELEBRATE HEALTH AND LIFE, TOGETHER WE WILL BE HELPING THOUSANDS!!! Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, suggestions or ideas to raise money. You can leave me messages on this site or e-mail me at nicoleswitchesbrew@hotmail.com
I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please visit and sign my guest book, it brings me great joy. Also, please pass on my web address to any friends and family who might find it of value. I need your help to get the word out so please pass this on. Thank you for your generosity and support. I will keep you updated as the race days draw near.

Sincerely,

Nicole Herbert