Vanderbilt cross country student-athlete Rob Whiting first heard about Medals4Mettle two years ago.

M4M collects half marathon, marathon and triathlon medals from competitors and donates them to individuals who have demonstrated personal mettle by courageously facing challenging life circumstances.

At the time, Whiting thought it was a good idea but wasn’t quite ready to part with his sole half-marathon medal. Since then, he has had a change of heart and has joined hundreds of other runners from across the world in making difference in the lives of others through the one simple act.

Whiting was running a race near his hometown of Fernandina Beach, Florida, when he was introduced to M4M.

“A runner I met at the race told me how he had donated several of his medals to the cause. I thought this was a really great idea but was not ready to part with my one half-marathon medal. Since then I have become more involved in service and philanthropy, and realized the positive difference I could make by simply donating my medal,” said Whiting, who ultimately contributed a medal he earned for completing the 2001 Jacksonville Half Marathon. So far, it is the only half or full marathon in which he’s ever participated.

Lots of others have come to the same conclusion. Medals4Meddle founder, Steven F. Isenberg, said the organization has collected and redistributed about 8,000 donated medals in its four-year existence. Not bad for an effort that began on a whim.

The Indianapolis-based doctor was fresh off running the Chicago Marathon in 2005. While he had planned to show off his medal at the office, he stopped to make rounds at the hospital, where he discovered one of his patients had been readmitted.

“It was a physician friend of mine, and I just gave him my medal before I showed it to anyone,” said Isenberg, who continued the practice of giving away the medals he earned running other marathons. “It was just one of those moments when there wasn’t anything else I could tell him. That started it. It just hit me one day that maybe other people would like to do this.”

Isenberg was right. M4M now has chapters in 25 states, Mexico and Canada. In April, he is planning to run the London Marathon. While there, he will introduce M4M in Europe. A network of about 100 local coordinators and other volunteers supports M4M. No one is paid.

There are no criteria for who is eligible to receive a medal. Donors may designate a recipient for their medal, and sometimes the names of potential recipients are forwarded to M4M. Most of the medals, though, go to children’s hospitals.

“When I started this program, I had a vision that it would be a way for people transculturally and internationally to communicate good will and support to one another. That seems like this is where this is heading,” said Isenberg, noting that he will be taking a load of Walt Disney Marathon medals to London to donate to a children’s hospital there. He also expects to return with a number of medals from the London Marathon to redistribute here.

As for Whiting, he left it up to M4M to decide who received his medal, and should he ever run another full or half marathon, he said any medal he earns is going directly to the organization. Whiting also encouraged other NCAA student-athletes to consider getting involved in M4M. 

“NCAA athletes push through tough workouts while handling the rigors of a full class load,” he said. “We are fortunate to have a level of health that enables us to do this, but there are many less fortunate people fighting much more difficult battles against disease and disability. The least we can do, as healthy college athletes, is support these individuals, and one way we can do this is by simply donating our medal for a race.”

Whiting, a senior, was one of five finalists for the 2009 Wooden Cup, presented by presented by Athletes for a Better World. Since coming to Vanderbilt, he has worked in the Nashville community and around the world. He launched Vanderbilt Students for Students, which provides college mentoring as well as a scholarship for a deserving local high school student. Also, for the past three summers, he has teaching English to underprivileged areas in China, where he plans to eventually return in hopes of promoting poverty alleviation and social entrepreneurship.