Market: Houston

Athlete: Emily Ruyle, Marathon Oil Company

Several years ago I read something in the paper about The D10 and thought that’s really neat. Fast forward to 2016 and a friend of mine posted on Facebook about The D10 coming to Houston…turns out that friend is married to Dave Maloney, Founder and Executive Producer of The D10. I’m quite a competitive person and thought this would be a really fun way to focus my training all while raising money for a great cause.

I had a training plan and was focusing on my running, as I knew those events would be my biggest challenge. Then October came and my life was completely turned upside down. I was diagnosed with cancer. At this point, The D10 was the last thing on my mind. I had stopped my training plan for the running and was just happy if I even made it to the gym. 

I wasn’t sure if I was going to compete in The D10, as I was scheduled for my first round of chemo on November 1st, four days before the event and didn’t know how it would affect me. Then about a week before the event in Houston, I got a phone call from Dave. He had said his wife had told him what I was going through and he wanted to encourage me to take part in any way I could. I decided that day if I felt up to it I was going to compete.

I’m happy Dave reached out to me, because if he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have competed. Rather than going with the competitive attitude I normally would have, I went in knowing “I’m here and I’m happy to be a part of this, no matter what.” Basically my attitude went from I have to do the best that I can do, to just being happy I was able to take part at all.   

There were some major triumphs that day, I shaved 7 seconds off my 400m time and I smashed my marquee event, the bench press, with a whopping 37 reps. But ultimately I was able to be a part of a community here in Houston, that raised $220,000 for MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital…the same place I’m being treated, but in the part for the big kids!

That day I was reminded of what I already knew, you have a choice every day, you can stay home and lay in bed and be miserable or you can get up and take each day as it comes. I’m sure happy I got out of bed that day!
Here’s to competing in 2017, cancer free and ready to #BringIt!
Emily