UNBROKEN [08.17]

April 27, 2017

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Market:  New York 

Athlete:  Naeem Muhammed, Goldman Sachs


As a child I had really bad asthma, so my mother and I made frequent trips to see my pediatrician. I loved going to the doctor. My pediatrician was a sweet older woman who gave me lollipops and I knew my mother would buy me a happy meal afterward if I was well behaved (chubby kid problems). These trips allowed me to bond with my mother and I swore that I'd become a pediatrician someday. I'd like to think that during my childhood and teenage years I overcame a decent amount of obstacles, but science was not one of them. After taking Chemistry in the 10th grade I sadly realized that becoming a pediatrician was completely out of the question, but I still had great passion for children. 

When I joined Goldman Sachs in 2013 I received an email about The D10 benefiting pediatric cancer research at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. I was an athlete my entire life and this seemed like an opportunity for me to bridge the gap between my passion for helping children with sports and finance. Win-win right?

Training for The D10 proved to be a different beast. It's not just about strength, it's about speed and it's not just about speed, it's about endurance and it's not just about endurance, it's about mental toughness. The list goes on. 

Game day is like nothing I have ever experienced. It's nostalgic. As a “has-been”, The D10 is my very own Super Bowl or NBA Finals, the difference being that I can’t lose. When it’s all said and done, we all win a battle that furthers pediatric cancer research. Going in to my first D10 I thought I was going to be surrounded by a bunch of A-type "suits" who were overly competitive, but it turned out to be the complete opposite. We cheered for each other, we pushed each other and many of us stayed in touch after the event. 

This year I'm blessed to gear up for my third D10 (third time is the charm right?), only this time my motivation is different. I always knew that cancer was lethal, but I see it in a different light now that it has hit my home. 

In my past two D10’s, friends, family and colleagues helped me raise ~$10,000 combined and I'm excited to continue this crusade against pediatric cancer. Only a few more weeks until I #BringIt

--Naeem T.