Virgin Unite

Tellman experienced prejudice as a child. Afflicted with A.D.D. he did poorly in school, had obvious problems with learning and simply couldn’t relate with his peers. He was born with Femoral Antiversion, meaning his leg bones were twisted so that his feet met at 45-degree angles. He could barely walk without tripping over his own feet, but at age14, he decided to try out for the cross-country team. He didn't do well (even the assistant coach laughed cruelly at his attempts to run) but he didn't let that stop him. That year, he discovered running alone helped him deal with "impossible problems" in his life, and the discipline of running 15 miles a day even pulled his feet around and healed his leg bones, permanently. Tellman went on to set the all-time cross-country record at his high school.

He remembers joining the military straight out of high school, not out of choice, but because he didn't see any other options available to him. After an experience with depression, he decided to try to put himself through college even though he didn't have a dime to his name. He ended up starting his own company at the age of 19 on a "shoestring." Ten years later he became a self-made millionaire and met Sir Richard Branson.

Branson told Tellman about the over 1 million children and teenagers living lives of desperation on the streets of America - and about Virgin Unite's global RE*Generation campaign, which has partnered with some of the most effective organizations in the country to meet kids where they are on the street and help them directly with food, shelter, clothing, and the resources they need to rebuild their lives again.

Tellman learned that over one million young people in the US live on the streets, not by choice but because they believe they have no other choice. Many of them left their homes because of violence, abuse or neglect. Every day, they face starvation, despair and ever more abuse from adults who prey upon these kids who have no place to go. In fact, in America an alarming 13 homeless young people die alone on the streets every 24 hours. The enormity of this situation can make it seem like a "impossible problem" to conquer.

But Tellman remembers what he did to solve "impossible problems" as a teenager himself…he ran. And now he has pledged to run again: this time to set a new "record": he wants to raise 100,000,000 (one hundred million) dollars through Virgin Unite and RE*Generation USA, while running coast to coast across America. The ultimate goal is to quickly and exponentially expand the number of children who will be able to get help rebuilding their lives and futures with the help of our partner organizations in America, in 2009 and beyond. He hopes you will join him, and run "ten with Tellman" along the way!