Why We Dance: The Story of THON

Last Thursday, "Why We Dance: The Story of THON" premiered. As always, I was excited to see and hear stories of THON, but the hour-long look at THON was better than anything I could have imagined. Seeing familiar faces and places on my living room television (thank you apple TV) felt so good. After nearly a year of generalized publicity, everyone should know about and experience Penn State's greatest point of pride - raising millions of dollars for the kids. 

THON had an incredible impact on my four years at Penn State, and even greater, on who I am today. It taught me about the power a group of people can have and the value of commitment, hard work, and dedication. When I think about all the hours I have spent running, and then of course, pondering running and the level of commitment it requires, I am baffled by the fact that I somehow "danced" (stood! remained awake!) for 46 hours straight. The spirit of THON is contagious and it drives people to do unthinkable things. It's an experience I carry with me everywhere I go - when I'm teaching a challenging class, when I'm faced with a problem at work, when I set out to run a half-marathon. 

The documentary brought to the surface so many emotions. It felt like I was right back in it - running through the tunnel to kick off the weekend, counting down the last seconds of 46 hours, running 135 miles from Hershey to Penn State. While THON is a huge part of me, running as part of Hope Express was something I could be an integral part of. Seeing clips of our party at Hershey (32 minutes in - check us out!), legs of the run, and dancing on stage at THON. Even thinking about it now, I feel the emotions all come back. When we talk about Hope Express, we talk about being a family and that's what it truly is. It's people coming together for an incredible cause and supporting one another. I thought nothing could surpass dancing for 46 hours at THON and it will always be an incredible experience I carry with me, but the 24 hours (TWICE!) from Hershey to Penn State are some of the most special of my life. 

I'm so thrilled this documentary is now something that can be shared with the world, beyond the borders of Pennsylvania. Not everyone is or will be connected to THON, but it's inspiring and encouraging. Everyone should find their own THON - the thing that makes them push themselves, a cause that drives them to take on incredible challenges in the name of helping lessen the burden of another.