THIS ONE'S FOR YOU: When he's running in Saturday's Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tenn, McDonogh wrestler Ben Levin will be wearing a T-shirt (above) with the names of two special women -- the mothers of a teammate and a coach, respectively -- for whom he is raising money toward assisting in their personal battles against breast cancer.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: Ben (left) and his father, Phil (right) will each compete in Saturday's Country Music Marathon.
(See video interviews below)
Lying on the kitchen table of Ben Levin's Reisterstown home is a T-shirt with the names of two special women scribbled on it in pink and black marker.
Levin will be wearing that shirt this weekend, soon after he and his father, Phil, the latter of whom will be competing in his 30th marathon, step off of an airplane in Nashville, Tenn., where they will both run in the Country Music Marathon.
Their efforts, said Ben Levin, will go toward raising money for breast cancer, in general, and for Lena Woody and Patty Bakewell, in particular -- the cancer-stricken mothers, respectively, of Levin's McDonogh wrestling teammate, Albert Woody, and his Eagles' assistant coach, Joe Bakewell.
"I'm running for Albert's mom, and it's a real big part of why I'm running because he's like a brother to me," said Levin, who earned a 130-pound private schools state title and finished second at the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association championships for McDonogh, which earned its third straight team titles in both events.
"That also wouldn't have been possible without Coach Bakewell and [Head] Coach [Pete] Welch. Coach Bakewell's mom has breast cancer," said Levin, who will attend the U.S. Naval Academy's Prep School. "That's another reason why I want to run."
Levin has been running in marathons since the age of 12, when he did so in honor of military man Darin Pontell, a graduate of Atholton High and the Naval Academy who was killed in the Pentagon during the terrorist attacks of September, 11, 2001.
"One of the greatest things that can happen is when you can perform your sport and raise money for charity. And do great things for your community," said Phil Levin, adding that his son "is raising over $11,000, with a $20,000 goal."
"What we think Ben will be able to do is run in honor of his coaches' mother and his teammate's mother," said Phil Levin. "Both are family-oriented and have cared immensely about Ben, Ben's career, but more importantly, his well-being and that of the team. This is just a great opportunity to save future women from breast cancer."
Checks can be made payable to the Susan G. Komen Foundation Race For The Cure, said Phil Levin, adding, "and we are able to literally just pass that on."
Phil Levin has always run as a means of fitness and weight control, he said, with Ben, as a youngster, often joining in.
"When he began to wrestle, he used it as a way to manage weight," said Phil Levin. "As we got further along, he ran his first road race at I believe age 8 or 9, which was a 10K race. And then we decided that when he turned 12, he had an opportunity to run a marathon."
Note: Checks made out to The Susan G. Komen Foundation can be mailed to Ben Levin at 28, Caraway Road, Reisterstown, MD., 20136.