The Impact of Pat Tillman Continues Today
Ranger walks Across America for Pat and Inspires Diamonds Player to Change
by Anne 'Kip' Watson
Deciding to make a difference, Rory Fanning travels foot by foot to make sure people don't forget about Pat Tillman. Setting out from Virginia Beach, Va. a few months ago, Fanning is walking nearly 3,000 miles to the California Coast in hopes of raising 3.6 million dollars for the Pat Tillman Foundation. That equates to the value of the NFL contract Tillman gave up to follow his heart into the Army. "There is a big hole in people's hearts as a result of the way things ended (for Pat) and they are happy that people like me are keeping his memory alive."
Like Tillman, Fanning, 31, joined the Army following the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington on 9/11. Both served in the 2nd Ranger Battalion. For six months prior to his death, Fanning worked along side Tillman. Pat's character and integrity quickly made an impact on him.
Fanning described himself like every other Ranger headed for the bars. On one such occasion, he came across Pat and his brother exchanging papers in a coffee shop, "Each of them had written a 7-page paper on a topic I don't remember now. They grew up without TV as kids, so for fun they wrote papers and exchanged them on any topic you can imagine for fun on a Friday night."
"Conversations with him were deep and full," notes Fanning. "When I talked to him about a topic he's read and knew more about than I did, he stopped what he was doing, he focused on what I had to say, and he wasn't trying to interrupt me. Leadership is not about having a million dollar smile and telling people what they want to hear. It's listening and leading by example."
Tillman's legacy of impact stretches beyond Fanning to Jen Welter, an All-Pro Linebacker for the Dallas Diamonds women's professional football team. Welter met up with Fanning as he made his way through the metroplex. As they walked, Fanning shared Tillman's passion for service and impact. Inspired by what she heard, Welter decided to make a change in her own, "Fanning is giving of himself to honor Pat. And, in my own small way, I hope by wearing #40, Pat's number, I can help Fanning's goal of impacting people through selfless leadership."
Welter has worn #47 since she started playing football 8 years ago. After hearing more about Tillman and some similarities in their statue and playing ability, Welter decided she would let go of her own ego attachment to #47 and begin wearing #40 to honor the cause of leadership through serving.
As the two walked, Welter also learned of the challenges facing Fanning as he moves across the country. While he carries essentials in his 25 pound backpack, finding a place to shower, shave, and change proves difficult. The Diamonds Linebacker who trains for Snap Fitness reached into her own bag and pulled out a keycard for Fanning, "I was struck by the realization of the simple things many of us take for granted like a warm shower. We talked about possible solutions. I gave him my 24-7 access keycard to clubs across America. So, I took action and later asked for forgiveness. Thankfully, they were very supportive and have come on board as a partner," notes Welter.
Encouraging people to step out of their comfort zone, Fanning is asking people to use their freedom to pursue a cause beyond self. "That's what Pat did," said Fanning. The Pat Tillman Foundation ensures Tillman's legacy of leadership and civic action in younger generations through specific programs and scholarships.
Fanning now makes his way to Lubbock, Texas where he will speak to young people at Texas Tech University. "I truly hope other people will hear of Rory's example of selfless leadership and support him by either walking with him, buying him a meal, giving him a roof to sleep under, and/ or making a donation," says Welter. "He is a refreshing person who literally is trying to make a positive impact, one step at a time."
To track Fanning's journey and make a donation to the Pat Tillman Foundation, log on to: www.walkforpat.org, blog.walkforpat.org, or www.pattillmanfoundation.org.
You can also follow Jen Welter as she makes her journey on and off the field to honor Pat Tillman's #40 Jersey and make her own personal impact on the 2009 season.
Rory's blog from meeting Jen Welter
With the help of my loyal staff, I climbed a rusty barb wire fence and set my tent up next to a cactus nest. Dry brush and dormant Texas witch hair trees cover me from the glare of a smug two storey brick house with an automatic sprinkler system that sounds like a rattle snake den. The temperature dropped 20 degrees less than an hour after the sun pulled the covers over its head for the night. I am as Sam Shepard would say, "in the true West." My goal is to stretch more and breathe deeper on the second leg of this journey. I started the walk weighing 210. I weigh 190 now. With my pack I am at 235. A light painless click in my right hip reminds me that stretching is vital as I carry this weight. I may stop at a chiropractor for an alignment to play it safe. I remember watching Pat Tillman's commitment to stretching. He was unbelievably elastic. He stretched like a yogi all the time.Jen Welter, an All-Pro linebacker for the Dallas Diamonds, a professional football team, arranged for me to have unlimited access to Snap Fitness Gym anywhere in the country. Snap has 900 locations I met Jen at the NFL PA meeting in Dallas last week. Jen is a lot like Annie Golightly in the sense that she pursues her passion and dreams in spite of conventional bias and limitations. She loves football and the Independent Womans Football League (IWFL). Jen is working on her Phd. in sports psychology and has taken an active lead in promoting the league. At 5'2 Jen has to spend twice as much time in the gym as the other girls at the same position. Her arms are the envy of Wonder Woman. Jen, like Annie and Pat Tillman is filled with courage, independent thought, intrepid action and selfless leadership skills. She defies social gravity to advance the immortal cause of the human spirit. I met Nina as she was driving to teach her AP Biology class. She was in a white VW bus and had her two kids in the car. We chatted briefly about the walk. It was noon and she expressed interest in cooking me dinner. I told her to please visit my website for my contact info; and if she was still motivated closer to dinner time I would be more than grateful to eat a home cooked meal. She called me a few hours later and would meet me at 5. She also wanted to introduce me to her friend Michael, who considered riding his bike across country. Michael and Nina showed up at a park I stopped at around 5:15. Nina brought me fresh salad, spinach pasta, sour dough bread with basil dipping sauce, cookies, a beer and snacks for the road. I had a healthy and delicious tail-gate out of the back of Nina's husband's car. Michael is 20 and decided to leave a successful photography career in Ft. Worth and move to the island of St. Johns with nothing but a tent and a few cloths. He wants to scuba dive, camp and take pictures on his own time. Nina along with her husband and two kids are also making a bold move to Boulder, Colorado. They are leaving the comfort of family and the security of good jobs for the adventure and sport of the Rocky Mountains. We talked about Pat and his decision to leave the NFL and how in their own way they were doing something similar. Nina left at 6. She is also a personal trainer and had to teach a session. Michael and I chatter for a while longer about the joy and challenge of sleeping in a different place each night.Michael and Nina were so good to meet up with me. The food was delicious and the conversation was outstanding. Thank you guys! Please stay in touch!
