Upper Marlboro Dad and Teen Fundraise for Cancer Research

Patch sat down with Upper Marlboro’s Manny Salazar, who has been involved with fundraising efforts on behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training Program. Salazar, who is Hispanic and would like to see more minorities become involved, is participating alongside his 19-year-old son in Sunday’s “The Nations Tri,” a triathlon taking place in Washington, DC.

Patch: Tell us about your reasons for raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Manny Salazar:  One of the biggest reasons is that my mother died of cancer 10 years ago in August.  It was quick – stomach cancer, so I ride in honor of her memory - to show her I can do these things (100-mile bike races and triathlons). It’s difficult to encapsulate, but I ride because others can’t. I have a friend whose daughter died from cancer, and I’m riding in her honor as well. I have an 8-year-old daughter, and I can’t imagine thinking about her fighting for her life.

Patch: What was your first ride for charity like?

M.S: I did “America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride” in Lake Tahoe. It was what they call ‘a Century,’ a 100-mile ride. I went out west with a team of 25 folks, young, old, black, white, you name it - we had a good and diverse group, but I’d like to see more minorities. The bonding that takes place in training and the four-day event is incredible. To see people who had never ridden grow from struggling riding five miles, to doing the toughest terrain imaginable, it’s really just an incredible feeling of team. Many riders were very close to someone with leukemia, and everyone had their stories.

Patch: Why do you feel that minorities are underrepresented in these events?

M.S. We are so underrepresented in these types of events because a lot of folks think that you have to be a complete athlete to be in them. The programs are really built for folks who sit on the couch - there are coaches and mentors that will get you through. Next year I plan to be a mentor. We (minorities) get diagnosed with cancer more than most other ethnic groups, and it is key for me to go out and show folks and inspire them. I would say it is also a bit of a language issue, a bit of a cultural one as well – it can be intimidating to some to do things outside the norm. For me, it was swimming. To grasp the idea of swimming one mile was very daunting. For a lot of folks, this is a new way of life –they change fitness and eating habits with help all along the way.

Patch: What will it be like to have your son Erick participate with you in the triathlon on Sunday?

M.S: My son has always come out to help with the aid stations, support stations, and those sorts of things, but was always around the group. I had been trying to figure out how to spend time with him, and asked him about the triathlon. He said ‘sure.’ I was non-swimmer, about to jump into the Potomac (river) to swim a mile – and he really helped out, telling me, ‘I won’t let you drown.’ Erick came into the event late, but he has trained up and is excited – how cool for a 19-year old to participate! I’ve watched this kid come along. He has difficulty raising funds since he started late, but he is still working hard to come up with more money.

Patch: How can people learn more and donate if they are interested?

M.S: Both my son and I maintain websites, and that is probably the easiest way. My site is at http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nattri12/salazare, and Erick’s is http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nattri12/esalazar