Do TNT Participants Care About the Mission?

I've seen some claims that TNT participants don't care about the mission but are just trying to get a free trip. For example, there was this: "People sign up for groups like TNT because they think it looks cool, and they don't actually give a flip about the cause." Or this: they "do the absolute minimum to get by and then take an all expense paid trip paid for by charitable contributions."

Like anything else, there are no absolutes. Somewhere, is there someone doing TNT who has no interest at all in the mission? Somewhere, is there someone doing TNT who coasts while just taking a trip? Is there one such person out of the 40,000 or so who do Team in Training? I'm sure there is. My point is, they are the exception not the rule.

People doing TNT tend to have some interest or connection to the mission. They might be a survivor themselves - that is what got me interested. Or they might have a friend or family member who is a survivor or even died from a blood cancer. Or they might just have a casual interest in raising money for a good cause, even if there is not a direct connection. The latter group usually gets additional interest in the mission during the process of doing TNT, but even this group came in with some interest. I think the most passionate TNTer I have ever met, Coach Chuck, would have been in this last group. Once they learn more about the mission and what these awful cancers do to people, they get very interested.

Now, about doing the absolute minimum to get by, for an all expense paid trip - well, first, it is not all expenses paid. Significant but not all by a long shot. I'll be discussing this aspect of TNT in detail later. I've seen people put an incredible amount of effort into TNT. Frankly, if you are going to raise $2,000 - $5,000 and train for a marathon, half-marathon, century ride, or triathlon it is a lot of work. A lot of folks bust their butt in the process. I've seen people do it with a moderate amount of effort. I have never seen anyone do the minimum to get by who completes the program or comes close. Anyone like that is going to end up dropping out after a month or two. You cannot do TNT successfully and complete it with a minimum effort - you just can't.