When Mike Thompson was only 10 years old, he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a rare form of blood cancer found in children. Unsure of how to treat an adult form of Leukemia in a young boy, doctors told him his chances of survival were slim. However, Thompson is a fighter, and he and his family would accept nothing less than a successful outcome. Since his diagnosis in 1995, Thompson has undergone 76 operations, including two bone marrow transplants and facial reconstruction surgery that replaced part of his jawbone with the fibula of his left leg, all in an effort to beat the disease.

Today, at the age of 25, Thompson is not only an inspiration to everyone around him, but an accomplished multi-sport athlete. The family motto, “failure is not an option,” has pushed Thompson to not only beat cancer four times, but also encouraged him to finish a variety of fitness competitions, including century rides, marathons and triathlons. His confidence and positivity shine as he speaks of his achievements through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program, which offers free coaching, training, nutrition clinics and equipment for athletes competing in the most trying of endurance events. The program’s primary focus is to raise money for blood cancer research and patient care.

“Before I started training with them I never thought I’d be able to do a marathon,” Thompson explains. “I was able to accomplish those things because my coaches through the Team in Training program have turned me into an athlete, and I’ve done things I never thought possible because of them.”

Team in Training specializes in endurance training and provides a unique avenue for people to get involved in fitness events. Whether a participant has had any experience with blood cancer or has ever been involved in fitness training is irrelevant to the program. There are no requirements other than the will to train and an interest in raising money for the cause, says Thompson.

“It’s an incredible opportunity because athletes raise money that’s tax deductible and in return they receive everything for free,” he says. "All for helping in the battle against blood cancers.”

And the model seems to be working. With more than 40,000 participants per year, Team in Training is the largest endurance training program in the country. By 2008, it had raised more than $850 million for blood cancer research and patient care. Today, that figure approaches the $1 billion mark, according to the program’s Web site.

Since his involvement with Team in Training, Thompson has completed the Austin Capitol 10K, the Longhorn Half Marathon and, most recently, his first triathlon at the Hermann Memorial Ironman 70.3 in Galveston. The first event he participated in with the program, was the Lake Tahoe Century Ride, a challenge he completed with the man whom he considers a personal hero — his bone marrow donor, Steve Gerding. After Thompson’s bone marrow transplant in 1997, the two met and forged a strong friendship. That bond only strengthened after the pair trained and completed the Lake Tahoe Ride together in 2008. The ride was a monumental accomplishment in Thompson’s career, most notably because it was when he had an opportunity to tell his story to 1,600 people and received a standing ovation.

Currently, Thompson is in training for the Austin Ironman 70.3, which takes place this month at Decker Lake on October 17th. Yet he already has his sights set on a bigger goal: the first annual Ironman of Texas. The first full Ironman race held in the state will take place in The Woodlands, outside of Houston, on May 21, 2011. Thompson will attempt to complete a 2.4-mile swim, 112- mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run all back to back, totaling more than 140 miles for the day.

“I’ll be thinking of those who still fight through their own battle with cancer, and will be dedicating it to those who we have loved and lost to this disease,” Thompson says.

We recently sat down with Thompson to get a glimpse of not only his dedication to fitness, but also the cause that has changed his life.

Question & Answer

How did you become involved with Team in Training? October of 2008 was when I first signed on to race with them myself. A few months before, I went for a run around Town Lake, and I put on an old Team in Training shirt because it was literally the only sleeveless shirt I had. My dad had done a century ride in Tucson with Team in Training when I was a kid, and I was the honoree. When I put on the shirt it reminded me of that, and I realized that I could do something like that. I called them up and told them I was a cancer survivor and would like to do an event. We talked about getting involved, and I became an honor teammate as a cancer survivor to help inspire other teammates to meet their goals.

What has been your most profound experience with Team in Training? The people I have met that have kept me going. I feel honored to even know them. When they call me the honored teammate I feel that it truly could not have been a more fitting term because I am so honored to be part of this team.

What role has fitness played in your fight against cancer? It has given me a reason to keep fighting. All my life I’ve loved being active and using my body to accomplish great things. I’ve been through so much and literally did not have the strength to stand up on my own. I have no fibula, and they told me I wouldn’t be able to walk. From the beginning the doctors said I have a strong heart and it’s because I’ve always been active. I have great respect for how resilient the body can be, and I am truly grateful for having a body capable of being active and just the ability to do things without the help of others.

What is your exercise routine? Sunday mornings usually start with an open-water swim with the team at either Barton Springs or Lake Pflugerville for generally 1,500 to 2,000 meters or a 15-mile run. Mondays are almost always recovery days to let my body rest and get ready for the week. Tuesday mornings I swim with the team at a local pool where we do drills for 800 meters and then 1,500 to 2,000 meters of straight swimming. After that, there’s a bike ride from anywhere between 45 minutes to two hours. Wednesdays are track speed workouts that involve various heart rate zones and sprints combined with timed portions. Thursday night I bike ride on my own, working on timed heart rate zones. Friday is another day off. Saturdays are long rides or bricks, which are combined workouts like a swim and a run.

Who or what is your inspiration to engage in so many marathon and triathlon events? I’d probably say it’s the men, women and children who have already lost their lives to cancer. Each event that I did, each finish line that I cross is dedicated to those that have lost their lives and are currently fighting for their lives. There was a time when I thought I wouldn’t be here. I’ve been given not one, but four chances, and I am blessed to be able to do that. There are hundreds of people who don’t get that chance because their lives are cut short.

What have been the three most challenging things you have faced in your life? Easily the cancers. Being faced at such a young age with a life-threatening disease was very difficult. We didn’t know much about it. It was an adult form of leukemia that they know how to treat, but it’s rare in children. Immediately the odds were stacked against me, just being diagnosed with it. The second would be going through not one but two bone marrow transplants. You never know when the marrow will be rejected. Even though it should help you, it can also cause problems. Last one would be facial reconstruction. I got a tumor from my first transplant and had a very invasive operation where I might not have been able to walk again because they were removing my fibula. Recovery wasn’t easy but it was the only option. I wasn’t going to die. I was going to fight, and I still fight today.

What has been your proudest moment or has given you your greatest sense of achievement? Hearing that my story has inspired others to live. Being told by certain people that knowing that I’ve overcome such great obstacles and still live such a happy life gives them hope that we will one day find a cure. The moments that I love the most are when someone is encouraged, even though they may have lost someone, but know it is not in vain. The strength that they must have is absolutely incredible. A friend of mine lost his son, Mitchell Whitaker, to blood cancer when he was only 10 years old. I’m proud to raise money for his organization Go Mitch Go.

What are your future goals? In general, I want to keep doing triathlons, keep fundraising, keep spreading awareness. Hopefully, I will use my story to inspire others not just to fight through cancer but hopefully inspire others to live happy, healthy lives, because it is truly a gift. But when I think of goals, I think of Mitchell Whitaker. A brave, strong young man who was just as deserving as I was to live a long, healthy life and his life was cut short. It’s my goal now to ensure that hundreds of thousands of others who are diagnosed with blood cancer have the best chance possible and have the chance to go on and live a long, healthy, fruitful life. My fundraising goal for Ironman is to raise $50,000 for blood cancer research through Go Mitch Go foundation.

What is your advice to others? Anybody can accomplish great things. I couldn’t stand up on my own and now I’m running the Ironman next May. If I can do it anybody can. Surround yourself with good people and wake up each day knowing that it’s a blessing.