Perseverance and personal triumph is at the heart of Team M3. We wanted to ensure a place to communicate the stories of our mentor/student pairs.  

One such story of triumph was featured in Nov/Dec 2007 Edition of Chicago Athlete

Beyond the Finish Line by Paul Mirek & Cathy Braund
For 31 participants of the MGR Foundation, Team M3, beyond the finish line, this year’s marathon was a huge success. Through the MGR Foundation, Team M3 pairs adult mentors with Chicago High School students to train for and run The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.

On October 7, under unseasonably warm conditions, Team M3 members made their way to the starting line. With record-breaking heat predicted, slow and steady was the order for the day. This was more than a race, it was a journey. As groups passed each other with high fives and well wishes, each mentor/student team had one goal in mind: completing the marathon.

For the team of Paul Mirek and Miguel Smith this was their day.

Our group of six eventually broke into two groups of three (two mentors per student). Miguel, Michelle, and I settled into a 10:30 pace, which we considered a decent modification for the heat, but then reality hit. Water stations came up dry, and our hopes turned to concern. We were saved by spectators. All one had to do was be brave enough to ask for help: water, Gatorade, Body Glide, cell phones, all were available at the hands of helpful spectators.

Through the thousands of runners, our group could not stick together through a few water stops, and at mile 9 we were separated. Keeping my eye out for a tall skinny kid with a Cubs hat turned backward, it took me a mile to find Miguel. Together, we rounded the corner onto North Avenue thankful that we had found each other and grateful that Elvis was ahead.

Our encouragement for one another kept us going through this intense experience. Pain slowly rose up from our ankles to our calves, to our hips, and finally to our shoulders. Five hours and 59 minutes after crossing the start line, we bravely crossed the finish line. Receiving our piece of metal that was genuinely earned over 26.2 miles of perseverance. This will always be the day that Miguel became a marathoner.

For many other Team M3 members, the day did not end with covering 26.2 miles. The students, though disappointed, took the course closure in stride. Rerouting the race could not change what they had accomplished. After six months of training, students and mentors alike had learned that training for a marathon is so much more than just physically running. Pushing beyond what they thought they were capable of, creating meaningful relationships, sharing their experiences, making a commitment, reaching a goal - that is what they experienced.

Those are the lessons that shape who we are. Those are the lessons we carry beyond the finish line.