Helping a team win Olympic Gold is great.
Helping a team save lives is even better.
-Earl Young
About Earl Young and Earl Young’s Team
Earl Young’s Team has a primary goal: to defeat blood cancer through increasing donor awareness. This campaign begins with educating people about the importance of swabbing their cheeks, followed by providing opportunities for them to do so.
We focus our efforts on college campuses because young donors tend to yield the best outcomes for patients. College campuses present a large pool of young, healthy candidates who possess the energy and enthusiasm necessary to ignite a nationwide movement.
As a proud graduate of Abilene Christian University, Earl is particularly eager to share his message of hope and inspiration.
Our initiative starts with communicating the significance of joining the donor registry through a simple cheek swab, followed by the opportunity to GET SWABBED through our partnership with DKMS. As Earl would say…Helping a team win an Olympic gold medal is impressive, but assisting a team in saving lives is even more rewarding.
Earl Young’s Athletic Career
By his sophomore year, at just 19 years old, Earl had made his mark on the U.S. Olympic team headed to Rome. He finished sixth in the 400-meter dash with an impressive time of 45.9 seconds—an extraordinary achievement for a teenager. In the exciting 4×400-meter relay, Earl’s powerful performance helped secure a gold medal, contributing to a world record time of 3:02.2 and making him the youngest gold medalist on the U.S. track and field team.
Helping a team win an Olympic Gold Medal is great. Helping a team save lives is even better.
Earl was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in June 1961, celebrated as an athlete of exceptional stature and strength. He capped off his collection of medals with two golds at the 1963 Pan American Games in Brazil, showcasing the power of determination and ambition. Earl has rightfully been inducted into both the ACUSports Hall of Fame and the Texas Track & Field Hall of Fame, standing as aninspiration in athletics.
Earl Young’s Business Career
Earl has traveled extensively as an advisor, corporate officer, and director for Fortune 500 and investment banking firms. Throughout his work with public and private corporations, he has led negotiations with organizations such as OPIC, the World Bank, and USAID.
Beating Blood Cancer
As of September 2011, Earl had been so healthy that he hadn’t felt the need to get a physical in four years. However, after experiencing a persistent runny nose and cough, he decided to visit his physician. The doctor suggested running a series of routine tests, which Earl agreed to since it had been a while. The results were shocking as Earl’s body was no longer producing white blood cells. That same day, he was referred to a cancer specialist for a bone marrow biopsy, which confirmed the doctors’ fears—he had Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Within hours, he checked into a hospital to begin chemotherapy. Although chemotherapy could prolong his life, it was only a temporary solution.
Fortunately, Earl was in excellent overall health—”far better than most 70-year-olds”—but he was still racing against time. To survive, Earl needed a blood stem cell transplant. Lacking a matching donor in his family, he had to depend on a total stranger to provide the necessary stem cells for a second chance at life. In December 2011, a perfect matching donor was found in Germany. Each year, on January 21, Earl celebrates his “re-birthday,” marking his second chance at life.
when it is in your power to act.
One Selfless Act of Kindness
It’s the RIght Thing to Do!
About a week after Earl’s life-changing diagnosis, a bone marrow donor drive happened to be held in Germany. It drew 1,649 participants, including Christine Waag, a 44-year-old woman in Offenburg. “Each person may have only one genetic twin in the world,” she said, and she wanted to help in case her twin needed her.
Just three months later, two days before Christmas, Christine got the call. Her genetic twin needed her. The procedure was relatively painless, but shrouded in one important mystery: Who was the recipient? In the United States, donors and recipients must wait one year to contact each other; in Germany, it’s a two-year wait. Once the restriction lifted, Christine and Earl both wanted the mystery solved. They became fast friends, bonded in a way that few can truly appreciate.
Why did she do it? Why did she add her name to the registry to begin with, then why did she go through with the donation once the match was made? “Because,” she says, “it was the right thing to do.”
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Get to Know Earl Young
Every 3 minutes, someone in the US is diagnosed with blood cancer.
Earl Young
Earl Young is an American Olympic gold medalist, entrepreneur, and life-long advocate for others whose life journey blends athletic excellence with personal courage and philanthropy. A standout sprinter at Abilene Christian University, Young earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team at just 19 years old, competing in the 1960 Rome Games where he finished sixth in the 400 meters and powered the U.S. 4×400 meter relay team to a gold medal and world record performance. Young’s athletic success continued with two additional gold medals at the 1963 Pan American Games, and he has since been honored with induction into both the ACU Sports Hall of Fame and the Texas Track & Field Hall of Fame, as well as featuring on the cover of Sports Illustrated during the height of his track career.
Later in life, Young faced one of his toughest challenges when he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2011. A life-saving bone marrow transplant from a stranger in Germany gave him a “second chance,” inspiring him to found Earl Young’s Team, a nonprofit dedicated to defeating blood cancer by increasing awareness and recruitment of potential donors—especially on college campuses where young, healthy registrants are most needed. Through educational outreach and swab drives in partnership with organizations like DKMS, Young leverages his story of resilience to motivate thousands to join the donor registry and help save lives, embodying his belief that “helping a team win Olympic gold is great, but assisting a team in saving lives is even better.”
Stacey Young Mayfield
Stacey Young Mayfield is the proud daughter of Olympic gold medalist, Founder & CEO, Earl Young, bringing passion and heart to her role as Legacy Director for the foundation. Inspired by her father’s incredible journey and legacy, Stacey is fueled by purpose, stewardship, and a drive to make a lasting difference. Her dynamic leadership propels the organization forward, empowering the team and amplifying the foundation’s mission and vision to achieve an impactful future of lifesaving.
Amy Roseman
I am a proud Dallas native raised in a community-focused family, passionate about volunteering and helping others. After graduating from the University of Denver, I launched my career in a Crate & Barrel management training role, where I merged my love for home decor with leadership. I took time off to raise my two wonderful sons, an experience that deepened my appreciation for family and community. My journey took a turn when a friend was diagnosed with lymphoma prior to my sister-in-law’s blood cancer diagnosis, inspiring me to organize a donor drive that brought hope to others as well as my friends and family. In 2011, I channeled this passion into a 12-year career as a Donor Recruiter for DKMS, raising awareness for the need for more donors to connect patients with life-saving donors. Having collaborated with Earl for eight years, I joined Earl Young’s Team in 2023, continuing my commitment to making a difference. In my spare time, I love spending time with my husband and children, traveling, knitting, entertaining, and exploring estate sales to rescue unique furniture and art from past generations.
Jeanie Smith
Jeanie Smith is a servant leader and Area Manager, bringing over 20 years of dedicated experience in healthcare, community service, higher education, and nonprofit volunteerism. Jeanie excels at forging impactful partnerships with colleges, universities, businesses, and faith-based organizations to host swab drives, helping grow the donor pool. Beyond her professional commitment to making a difference, Jeanie enjoys exploring National Parks, watching college basketball, and cherishes time with her growing family.
Joni Wood
Joni brings over 20 years of nonprofit experience in building meaningful community partnerships, fundraising, and fostering lasting relationships. A proud seventh-generation Texan, Joni is passionate about honoring our roots while shaping a brighter future.
Meet Our Team
Founding Director
President
Program Director
Program Staff
Fundraising & Development Associate
