Some students may hold a bake sale, car wash or other fundraising event to seek donations for worthwhile causes. But others are choosing to use their athletic prowess to spread awareness and raise money for a good cause.Three past and present University students aren’t just training for their own health. They’re training for the health and education of others. Abby Gorman, kinesiology junior— St. Jude’s Memphis Marathon Abby Gorman decided to take KIN 4501 this semester because she was interested in training for a marathon. But the class came with an inspiring plus — students will be running the St. Jude’s Memphis Marathon on Dec. 6 to benefit a hospital in Memphis, Tenn.Donations and registration fees benefit the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Gorman said the class has become much more worthwhile now that she knows her $70 entry fee will go to fund research for pediatric treatment of cancer and diseases.Laura Stewart, kinesiology associate professor, said the class is meant to get students involved in researching science involving marathons plus guidance toward training for a race.”We couldn’t do a lot of fundraising.” Stewart said. “It makes you think of more than yourself when you’re running that race.”Stewart said 35 students are registered to run in the marathon. Gorman said she is happy to be learning, but it’s the added charity she appreciates most.”It’s good to know that through practicing what you learn, you’re helping,” Gorman said. David Tarnow, environmental management systems junior  —Dave’s Cycle for a CureDavid Tarnow has not only been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis   — he lost a friend to it.Tarnow decided to use his interest in cycling to spread awareness of the condition and started an annual cycling tour with his friends and family.Tarnow has suffered symptoms of the disease, which causes mucus to build up in his body, causing problems with body organs. He said he has been fortunate because his symptoms have not hindered him.”I’ve been blessed with perfect health, and so it inspired me to give back,” Tarnow said. “I had this interest in fundraising, and I thought it was a fun way to do a fundraising campaign.”Summer 2009 will be the fifth annual “Dave’s Cycle for a Cure.” Tarnow begins planning each event by writing a letter spreading awareness of the disease and explaining the ride and a “call to action.””People have a choice if they desire to send in a donation,” he said.Tarnow sends the letter to a contingent of family, friends and Baton Rouge residents to get the word out about his ride. In its inaugural year, the race raised $12,000 in donations — an amount Tarnow was surprised to reach.”We hadn’t worked out any kinks, and it turned out to be this great success,” he said. “As of today, we’ve raised $80,000.”Plans to include more participants are also in the works. Tarnow said he is thinking about a day ride to get people involved instead of simply donating money.”[The riders are] all out there feeling like we’re fighting the good fight,” Tarnow said.The annual rides have led the tour through New York, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Washington, Oregon, California and Louisiana.Paul Sibley, University alumnus — The Talbert FoundationSibley’s restlessness gave his professors a hard time in class, and it found him regularly running on the levee at 3 a.m.  He has come to terms with what he said is likely Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Sibley said he has relied on running to take on the problems in his life.But this Ultrarunner, a classification for long-distance runners, struggled through school, maintaining four jobs because he had no financial aid. Sibley realized his running could be channeled toward dealing with life’s challenges.”The best way for me to keep things in order was to work out, and that would be running,” Sibley said. After graduating in 1993, Sibley relocated to San Francisco to get his master’s of business administration. He met his wife, Courtney, and the couple relocated to Hawaii.But in 2006, Sibley, who has raced an Iron Man triathlon and multiple marathons, was met with his toughest challenge yet — the same week he was to run a 100-mile race, Sibley was diagnosed with spino-cellular carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. “That changed the playing field quite a bit,” Sibley said. “The doctors really hadn’t seen anything like it before. That set me back for almost a year.”Sibley prevailed though, and by May 2007, his feet pounded the pavement again as he trained for his next race. But now, he had a plan to take on cancer again, this time by spreading awareness and raising money. Sibley’s sister told him about a 5-year-old named Trevor, who was in his nephew’s class back home in Louisiana.Like Sibley, Trevor is fighting another form of cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma. Sibley planned a 160-mile run spread over 48 hours to seek donations. Interested donors can do so on Sibley’s Web site, CancerRunner.org or directly to the Talbert Foundation, which provides financial support to families suffering from a catastrophic illness.”[Trevor is] only 5 going through a pretty hefty challenge, and the burden cancer puts upon a whole family system is pretty huge,” he said.The run, scheduled for Dec. 12-13, winds around the island of Oahu for 134 miles and ends with the Honolulu Marathon — a 26.3-mile race.”Most of the time, if you want to do something to help out, it kind of needs to be crazy at times for people to notice,” Sibley said.—Contact Sean Griffin at [email protected]