September 1st, 2007
An interview with Team Tramp and Harrison runner
Dr. Mike Londner:

If you knew of a problem that was growing at near epidemic proportions, and knew that you could help just by making people aware of it, what would you do? Would you run yourself to exhaustion, braving wind, weather, and potential injuries, just to spread the word? 

Well, that is exactly what ER physician and exercise enthusiast Dr. Mike Londner is doing! Working alongside his race team, consisting of his little buddy Harrison, and his trusted canine companion of 10 years, Tramp, “Team Tramp & Harrison” is running in the Chicago marathon to increase public awareness of Autism and to raise much needed funds for research and education.  (Click here to read more)

Autism or, more commonly called today, ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), knows no bounds.  ASD affects all cultures delete and across all socio-economic groups. And, this is exactly why Dr. Londner is so willing to run for the cause; to make people aware of, and to do what he can to raise money for Autism research and education that will help families of those affected directly and indirectly with Autism learn coping strategies and understand available treatments. As he told us, “knowing is half the battle!”

So, how did Team Tramp & Harrison come to be? Dr. Mike shared with us that it was almost fate or kismet. “I originally got involved in Autism research through a friend of mine, who asked me if I was interested in sitting on the board for the Organization for Autism Research (OAR)," Dr. Mike explained.   "It seemed like a worthy cause, so I accepted, making me the only physician on a board full of extremely bright and talented therapists, researchers, and educators.”  Working together, the OAR team grants millions in research dollars to fund worthy projects looking to further Autism treatment and prevention options, and also to educate others about the growing number of cases of ASD. “I didn’t realize that when I joined OAR, that I would be immersing myself so completely into the culture of Autism, nor that it would have such a positive and powerful impact on my life. When you’re surrounded by so many amazing kids, and when you work with and talk to their families, you can’t help but take it all inside. They are all just so amazingly positive! But, let me get back to Team Tramp & Harrison, and how that all came about. After joining the Board of OAR, I put my farm up for sale.  In early discussions with one family, I learned they were considering the farm as they had specific needs involving circumstances related to their son who happened to be autistic. When I met their son Harrison, I put a face with the disease.  We all clicked immediately!” When asked what he meant by “clicked”, Dr. Mike elaborated.

“There was just a connection right away. Here was this family literally walking into my life, and buying my farm, with two parents doing their best to not only give their autistic son every opportunity for normalcy, but who are also truly concerned with helping make others more aware of the prevalence of autism," Dr. Mike continues.  "And so an alliance was formed; one ER physician, one cute little boy as motivator and friend, and one trusty dog to keep us all moving in the same direction. Tramp is smarter than us after all, and he is singularly focused to go only one way --  forward!” So what about Tramp? “Tramp is my 10 year old dog. He is our mascot and my best friend. He also represents some of the growing trends in Autism treatment, which is things like pet therapy, and the use of service dogs, with severely Autistic children. In some of the more severe cases of Autism, the children inadvertently "run away" from home. They get outside without supervision, and just keep walking. This is one of the ways service dogs are an invaluable tool. They can bark to notify the parent or guardian of the child's whereabouts, and the dog can protect the child and keep them out of danger until help arrives. It is an amazing program,”  Dr. Mike explains. "It seemed to me that there was a great team in place to keep things going forward."

And, speaking of moving forward. I had to find out how Dr. Mike got involved in running marathons in the first place? What he does to prepare, and how he stays motivated? “I’ve been a runner for many years. To date, I have competed in four New York Marathons, and three Chicago Marathons. I try to keep myself in good shape all of the time by running and eating right. But, about two months before a race I begin doing longer runs to work myself to the eventual 26.2 miles needed to complete the marathon. As far as mental training, none is required; because I know in my heart I am running for a great cause and to help a bunch of amazing kids! It’s easy to stay focused when your aim is true. Besides, it’s Harrison and Tramp’s job to keep me focused and motivated!” 

Wanting to know more, I asked Dr. Mike if there was anything in particular that he held onto mentally during a race to keep him strong?  “Aside from the personal challenge of training for and completing a marathon, which is inherent to all distance runners, I see it as something I simply have to do. How can I not? There are people with Autism who compete in and finish marathons. And here I am fully able bodied. I just think of them, and focus on bringing Autism to the attention of all of those people watching the racers run, as well as all the good the money we raise can do, and motivation is no problem at all!”

There was much more that I wanted to know about this amazing guy, and what he was accomplishing. So, I asked him when race day comes around, how will people know who he is, and what he’s running for? Also, what are his fundraising goals for these events? “Actually, I am but one of many competitors we have running this year to benefit OAR. We will have an OAR tent set up where we will have info on Autism and how people can get involved and help. Also, we have around 400 runners competing on behalf of OAR. We will all be wearing OAR jerseys; some will be wearing hats as well. We just want people to know who we are and who we’re running for! As far as fundraising goes, we have set a rather lofty but attainable goal for Chicago of $25,000.  In New York, we will be running for Team for Kids which supports many worthy charities aiming to help children, with a portion of the money raised going to Autism Research. We are hoping to raise $2500 there.” Is there anyway for people not attending the races as spectators can help support OAR efforts and Team Tramp & Harrison? “To sponsor me they can go through the links on this website by clicking here:  Sponsor Me and then simply follow the instructions to become a sponsor. Any support is greatly appreciated!”

I have to tell you Dr. Mike, certainly opened my eyes, and I really hope his efforts have a similar affect on others. I wanted to make sure he had his say, and asked him if there was one thing that he wants people to understand about Autism, and how can other people get involved in Autism awareness? “I definitely want to reiterate the fact that Autism can strike anyone, anytime, anywhere. The sooner a child is diagnosed, the sooner education and training can begin, and the better that child’s odds of acclimating into a more regular life. Though, much still depends on the severity of the disorder, and the support structure surrounding that child.” For more information or to get involved, I recommend people visit the Organization for Autism Research.