Anne Mahlum didn't set out to be a hero, but come Thanksgiving she might officially be given that title.

The 1999 Bismarck High School graduate is one of 10 finalists who could be named 2008 CNN Hero of the Year.

Mahlum, an avid runner now living in Philadelphia, launched Back On My Feet on July 3, 2007, at 6 a.m. The program strives to use running as a vehicle to teach work and life skills to people living in homeless shelters.

She didn't expect it to become as big as it has.

"I just wanted to run with some people who I thought it could benefit,"she said.

Mahlum, the daughter of Sonja Mahlum and Mark Mahlum of Bismarck, began Back On My Feet after running past the same men on the street every morning. She felt like they could benefit from running, too, so she contacted the executive director of the Sunday Morning Rescue Mission about starting a running organization for the homeless.

At the time, Mahlum was about to start a job at Comcast, a cable and Internet company. But as Back On My Feet grew, she saw the nonprofit organization as something that could benefit people and grow beyond Philadelphia.

"People run everywhere," she said.

Members must be in a shelter for at least 30 days, must have been sober for at least 30 days before they are allowed to participate, and they must sign a dedication contract with Back On My Feet.

Back On My Feet has expanded to five Philadelphia homeless shelters and plans to launch a pilot program in Baltimore in March 2009. Mahlum said 10 members of the program have moved out of shelters, 16 are now working, five have received job training and 55 have competed in races. No one who has been with the program for a year remains living in a shelter, she said.

"They're doing positive things for their lives," Mahlum said.

Mahlum's mother nominated her for the CNN award. Sonja Mahlum said she watched the CNN special last Thanksgiving.

"And I was really moved by the stories I watched on TV,"she said.

She realized her daughter's program was similar to the kinds of stories she had watched during the heroes special. So she went online and wrote about her daughter and Back On My Feet.

"As her mother, I'm extremely proud of the road she has chosen,"Sonja Mahlum said, adding that she still worries about Anne. "She is a child who has never had many fears."

Sonja Mahlum has visited her daughter in Philadelphia and walked with a group at a women's shelter. She said there have been quite a few success stories out of Back On My Feet, as well as a few people who don't stay with the program.

"(Anne) takes it so personal when they head back out," her mother said.

In a phone interview on Monday, Anne Mahlum said she'd known about the nomination for about two and a half weeks but had been able to talk about it only for about a week and a half.

"We were told to keep it quiet," she said.

The Top 10 CNN Heroes were selected by a panel of "distinguished leaders and humanitarians." Now, the public can vote to determine who of the Top 10 should be named Hero of the Year. More than just a title, the award comes with a $100,000 prize.

Mahlum said the money would go to the bottom line for Back On My Feet. The organization would have no problem finding use for the prize, she said. It costs $3,100 to sponsor a member for one year, she said.

The organization relies on donations from individuals and corporations for funding.

"Corporations have been great,"she said, noting sportswear giant Nike has donated gear for members from the start.

"I'm really humbled and honored,"she said. "The real heroes behind this are our members."

Members run at 6 a.m., three days a week, in good weather and in bad. Members are eligible for "Next Step" money after participating for six months with 90 percent attendance. The money can be used for housing, schooling or anything that helps them move forward in life, Mahlum said.

"They earn it," she said. "We're not an organization that gives handouts."

She said being named a finalist is a testament to the hard work members put in to overcome the hard lives they've led.

"To not have a home - a lot of us haven't experienced that," Mahlum said.

The 2008 Hero of the Year will be named during a Thanksgiving night special on CNN hosted by Anderson Cooper. Each of the honorees receive $25,000 and will be featured on the program, which will air at 8 p.m. CST.

Voting ends Nov. 19. Vote for the Hero of the Year at http://heroes.cnn.com/default.asp. For more information on Back On My Feet, go to www.backonmyfeet.org.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com.)