Make a difference.

I grew aware of the life goal in young adulthood -- through my high school P.E. teacher.

She trained me for my first 5K race, an achievement that broke some of my strongest physical and mental barriers.

I don’t know which lesson was more valuable: the 5K training or a reminder of the human capacity to change someone else’s life.

The memory resurfaced Saturday night, as I joined the crowd at Edgewood Baptist Church in Columbus for a screening of “Season of a Lifetime,” the film that profiles former Greenville High School football coach Jeremy Williams.

Williams has ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The fatal condition is incurable and affects behaviors like speech, swallowing and breathing.

Williams and his wife have two children, one of whom has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. Their Pine Mountain Valley home was featured on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

While watching “Season of a Lifetime,” you applaud Jeremy Williams’ ability to impact so many people amid life’s obstacles. Then, you wonder if you’ve reached even half of his level of influence.

Thanks to the magic of Facebook, we can gauge our ability to make a difference against friends who have built community shelters amid natural disasters. Or friends with the resources to save every needy animal from starvation.

Sometimes, I feel like I’m not doing enough.

The feeling is common in a season packed with fundraisers, awareness walks and 5K races benefiting worthy causes. There’s even an official Make A Difference Day, which will be held later this month.

It can be overwhelming. At worst, the abundance of need paralyzes us. At best, it takes us outside ourselves long enough to enter someone else’s scrapbook.

To that end, I’ll continue to support the fundraising efforts of local 5K races. I’ll run with the confidence to change lives -- due largely to the high school P.E. teacher who changed mine.

Of note: The Run for Jeremy 5K race will be held 9 a.m. Saturday at Harris County High School. The race includes food and entertainment.

Pre-registration is $20 and goes through the end of the day Thursday. After that, it’s $30. Proceeds benefit the Emory ALS Center in Atlanta.