Running from trouble
Posted: Friday, April 03, 2009 3:26 PM by Daily Nightly Editor
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Notes from the field
By Janet Shamlian, NBC News correspondent
It was an impulse buy. A few minutes too many at Reagan National, and I drifted into the airport equivalent of a mini-mart. Determined to resist the call of Reese's, I opted for Runner's World magazine instead. It's there I read about the young woman you'll meet in tonight's Making a Difference report.
It started as a small gesture between strangers. A simple wave. The guys at the shelter were curious about the petite blond who ran past each day before dawn. This was one of those so-called transitional neighborhoods. She was tiny and alone and they worried about her. In the days to follow they would call out warnings, 'be careful' and 'stay safe.' She'd smile and nod and continue on.
One morning, Anne Mahlum didn't run past as usual. She stopped. It's a day that changed her life and, in the time since, has changed hundreds of others. Her decision has even saved a few lives, like that of James Singletary -- a man who thought he lost it all until he found Anne and the group she founded, Back on My Feet.
Anne jumped off the pages of the magazine. I had to meet her. Tonight, you will, too.
Photo caption: Janet Shamlian and NBC Producer Victor Limjoco with James Singletary (middle), a recovering drug addict now training for his first marathon
Back on My Feet
www.backonmyfeet.org
