There are many ways one can give. For the Emily K Center, it is these gifts that make their daily efforts possible. There are the always-appreciated and necessary financial gifts. There is also the support from companies like Cisco, McKinney, and RTI International that have provided their pro bono expertise. Then, there are the numerous volunteers who give of their time to teach and interact with the students at the Center on a daily basis. All of these individuals and organizations are essential to the Emily K — their generosity and efforts are exemplary and, frankly, essential. Anytime an individual sacrifices for the good of another, we can consider it an act of charitable giving. But rarely is charity so physically exhausting.
Leave it to a truly uncommon man to come up with a most uncommon way of giving. In the span of his career, Jesse Itzler has found success in an incredible range of endeavors from founding a highly successful private jet business to a career as a rapper and songwriter. Itzler is who we all are in our wildest (and happiest) dreams: someone who has just as many crazy ideas as the rest of us but who, unlike most, follows through on them.
In 2006 Itzler had one of his craziest ideas to date — to attempt to run 100 miles in 24 hours. Somewhere in a brain that is just as full of goodness and charity as it is of crazy ideas, he decided he would raise one million dollars as the “100 Mile Man” and would donate $100,000 each to ten charities. As a three-year veteran of Duke’s K Academy, Itzler came to know about the Emily Krzyzewski Center and its mission. In selecting his charities, Itzler wanted to find organizations that had a “direct and measurable impact on people.” In other words, he wanted to see results.
While working toward personal results through his rigorous training schedule leading up to the race, Itzler was reminded of the impact his uncommon efforts would have on a group of outstanding kids in Durham. The kids sent Jesse letters and emails as a source of motivation for his run. They even sent along some Emily K Center water bottles and photos with inspirational quotes related to the six Emily K pillar words of Heart, High Expectations, Hard Work, Honesty, Integrity and Respect. The motivation was mutual. Jesse’s 100-mile endeavor served as a source of inspiration for the students at the Emily K as well as a real-life source of math word problems with which the tutors could work. “How many miles an hour must Jesse run to complete 100 miles in 24 hours?”
The numerical answer is 4.1666667. The better answer is: way too many for most. But not for Itzler. An experienced marathoner, he finished the first 50 miles in ten hours and it seemed to go by without a hitch. But as the November weather in Grapevine, TX where the run was held dipped to below forty degrees, Itzler was unable to stop shivering and battled blistered feet and dehydration. By mile 97, early in the morning on the run’s second day, he even began to hallucinate. His focus had gone from a “mind over matter” to sheer determination over even his mind.
When he crossed the finish line at under 23 hours, he had just enough energy to raise his arms triumphantly in the air. It was a feat of individual strength and will that the humble Itzler claims was aided by the support of many from his training, medical, and support staff that were physically there for him during the race to the people who encouraged him from afar. “Prior to my run, I got emails and letters from the kids that served as motivation during the run,” he says. “Knowing so many people were rooting for me really helped.” The personal pride he experienced and the bonds formed with those who went through it all with him were exacerbated by the positive impact his feat (and feet) would have.
At halftime of the Duke/UNC game on February 7, 2007, Itzler presented his $100,000 check to Marleah Rogers and Mickie Krzyzewski at mid-court in Cameron Indoor Stadium. On the same trip, he was able to visit with the students at the Emily Krzyzewski Center. He spoke to them about the Dream-Do-Achieve path that he had followed in his life in becoming an artist and businessman. More specifically, he spoke of the dreaming, doing, and achieving that took place from when the 100-mile run was an idea to when he crossed the finish line. “It was a huge thrill to see the fruits of my efforts in action!” Itzler says. His uncommon impact could not have been more “direct and measurable” than the smiles on their faces.
