By Tim Seyfert

Mary Phillips, diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma last March, inspired her son Steve (right) to join Team In Training® and run his first marathon.

For years, Los Altos resident Steve Phillips ran purely out of a desire to stay fit, jogging a few times a week, even racing the occasional 10K just for kicks.

That all changed earlier this year when the 42-year-old was given a new motivation to lace up his sneakers and hit the jogging trails - family. Since then, Phillips has stepped up his stride to become a runner on a mission.

Last March Phillips learned that his 72-year-old mother, Mary, had been diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma. Like any loving son, he felt driven to do something - only at first, he didn’t know what.

“I realized there was little that I could do physically to help my mom,” he said. “I provided her with moral support through daily communications, but when she was going through treatment, she couldn’t be around anyone that could give her germs.”

Drawing from his passion for pounding the pavement, Phillips turned his frustration into inspiration. He joined the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training® to help others like his mother.

Since 1988 the organization has trained athletes for events that benefit research for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. Phillips said it was his move to run for a cause that sparked the urge to tackle his first marathon Dec. 14, the annual Honolulu Marathon in Hawaii.

“I joined the group to raise money so that more people in the future will be spared from these terrible diseases,” Phillips said. “I thought it’d be a great way to make a difference.”

During the months of his training, Phillips raised more than $13,000 in pledges for the organization, declaring it “the easiest money I’ve ever made.”

“People have been very understanding and supportive,” he said. “It’s inspiring how generous everyone was.”

Finishing near his goal with a time of 4 hours and 56 minutes, Phillips said he plans to make running marathons with Team In Training® a regular activity.

“Running just makes you feel invigorated,” he said. “It’s even nicer when you’re doing it for a good cause. This won’t be my last one.”

Phillips said his involvement with Team In Training® has also served as a therapeutic experience for his mother, who, as one of the organization’s honorees, remained his biggest cheerleader and inspiration during his training.

“It really boosted her emotional state and has been a positive source of morale for her,” he said. “She’s been with me throughout this whole thing, and you can just see in her face how happy this has made her.”

Phillips has lived in Los Altos since 1970. He graduated from Homestead High School in 1979. Off the running trails, Phillips works as a business manager for Applied Materials in Sunnyvale.

For more information about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training®, logon to www.teamintraining.org.