- Email: [email protected]
Lacing up: Reflections from returning to run the 2014 Boston marathon
G Model PEC 6494 No. of Pages 2
Patient Education and Counseling xxx (2019) xxx–xxx
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Patient Education and Counseling journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/pateducou
Reflective Practice
Lacing up: Reflections from returning to run the 2014 Boston marathon Casey Walsh University of Washington, United States
A R T I C L E I N F O
A B S T R A C T
Article history: Received 13 May 2019 Received in revised form 25 October 2019 Accepted 13 January 2020
In this narrative essay, the author, a pediatric medical social worker and young adult cancer researcher, recounts her experience of returning to run the 2014 Boston Marathon. She shares lessons learned about community and coping in the wake of tragedy. © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Remembrance Oncology Community Loss
It was time for a new challenge. I had never been much of a runner but I always loved the excitement and camaraderie of Marathon Monday in Boston. I took a chance and applied to run the 2013 Boston Marathon with the Massachusetts General Hospital Pediatric Oncology team. Upon being accepted to the team, I still remember the butterflies that I felt about training to run 26.2 miles. I knew that I would become more physically fit but I did not anticipate the strong bonds that I would develop with my teammates and patient partner and her family, the tragedy that would unfold, and the healing and growth that would follow. We were a team of people of all ages and backgrounds, united in raising awareness and funds for pediatric cancer. We met each week for a long run, gradually increasing the distance of each run until reaching our maximum training distance of 20 miles. We ran through ice, snow, wind, and rain. Over the years, my memories of the aches and pains from the long training runs have faded and my recollection of the laughs and adventures shared with my teammates have become stronger. I remember feeling a sense of accomplishment in crossing off each day in the training schedule, anticipating the big day ahead. The night before the marathon the Massachusetts General Hospital Pediatric Oncology Program hosts a pasta dinner for all of the runners, their families, and the patient partner program. The highlight of the evening is the medal ceremony with the patient partners. With a full heart and belly, I felt ready for our big day. On April 15, 2013, everything changed when the bombs went off at the finish line. In an instant, the day went from joyous celebration to tragedy. I experienced a loss of the sense of time, the reality that life can change within a matter of seconds.
E-mail address: [email protected] (C. Walsh).
In the days and weeks that followed, our team came together to grieve and to support each other. Acts of kindness occurred, such as runners continuing on to the nearest hospital to donate blood, local residents opening their homes to runners, and fundraisers to support the victims and their families. Runners who had not crossed the finish line were offered entry to the 2014 Boston Marathon. I was grateful for the opportunity to get to run Boston again, with my teammates who had become family. On April 21, 2014, the field was larger than ever, numbering some 36,000 runners. I laced up my sneakers and joined my teammates in the early morning hours to board the bus to Hopkinton, Massachusetts. We were ready to reclaim our city. There were more than 10,000 volunteers and record-breaking crowds. My memories of the day remain just as vivid. The countless hugs and high-fives, the “Boston Strong” signs, the pediatric oncology patients and families cheering at Mile 20, the sounds of cowbells, and the bright yellow and blue paint of the finish line. I was overwhelmed with emotions as I finally crossed the finish line, thinking about the victims and their families. I felt a sense of accomplishment in finishing the marathon but knew that this would not be my last race. I deeply cherish my mementos symbolizing the Boston Marathon. The knit scarf that I received from the Marathon Scarf Project 2014, which wrapped 7,300 athletes in love and courage at the Old North Church in Boston. My team jersey, still pinned with my bib, my Boston Athletic Association medal that sparkles with the iconic Boston Marathon unicorn, and the photos with my teammates and loved ones. These mementos bring me back to that day. Over the years, my teammates and I have stayed in touch and have traveled to run more races together. I hope to return to Boston someday to run the marathon with my daughter. But
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.01.006 0738-3991/© 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Please cite this article in press as: C. Walsh, Lacing up: Reflections from returning to run the 2014 Boston marathon, Patient Educ Couns (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.01.006
G Model PEC 6494 No. of Pages 2
2
C. Walsh / Patient Education and Counseling xxx (2019) xxx–xxx
what I’ve learned from running the Boston Marathon doesn’t really have anything at all to do with running. It’s about appreciating each day and supporting each another. It’s about slowing down to be more present with patients and families in my work as a pediatric medical social worker and young adult cancer researcher. It’s about listening carefully and thoughtfully. It's about responding with empathy. It’s about taking
chances. It’s about helping to connect patients and families with others who share their experience. We are stronger together. Acknowledgments Casey Walsh is supported by an NIH/NCI5T32 CA092408.
Please cite this article in press as: C. Walsh, Lacing up: Reflections from returning to run the 2014 Boston marathon, Patient Educ Couns (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.01.006
Patient Education and Counseling xxx (2019) xxx–xxx
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Patient Education and Counseling journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/pateducou
Reflective Practice
Lacing up: Reflections from returning to run the 2014 Boston marathon Casey Walsh University of Washington, United States
A R T I C L E I N F O
A B S T R A C T
Article history: Received 13 May 2019 Received in revised form 25 October 2019 Accepted 13 January 2020
In this narrative essay, the author, a pediatric medical social worker and young adult cancer researcher, recounts her experience of returning to run the 2014 Boston Marathon. She shares lessons learned about community and coping in the wake of tragedy. © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Remembrance Oncology Community Loss
It was time for a new challenge. I had never been much of a runner but I always loved the excitement and camaraderie of Marathon Monday in Boston. I took a chance and applied to run the 2013 Boston Marathon with the Massachusetts General Hospital Pediatric Oncology team. Upon being accepted to the team, I still remember the butterflies that I felt about training to run 26.2 miles. I knew that I would become more physically fit but I did not anticipate the strong bonds that I would develop with my teammates and patient partner and her family, the tragedy that would unfold, and the healing and growth that would follow. We were a team of people of all ages and backgrounds, united in raising awareness and funds for pediatric cancer. We met each week for a long run, gradually increasing the distance of each run until reaching our maximum training distance of 20 miles. We ran through ice, snow, wind, and rain. Over the years, my memories of the aches and pains from the long training runs have faded and my recollection of the laughs and adventures shared with my teammates have become stronger. I remember feeling a sense of accomplishment in crossing off each day in the training schedule, anticipating the big day ahead. The night before the marathon the Massachusetts General Hospital Pediatric Oncology Program hosts a pasta dinner for all of the runners, their families, and the patient partner program. The highlight of the evening is the medal ceremony with the patient partners. With a full heart and belly, I felt ready for our big day. On April 15, 2013, everything changed when the bombs went off at the finish line. In an instant, the day went from joyous celebration to tragedy. I experienced a loss of the sense of time, the reality that life can change within a matter of seconds.
E-mail address: [email protected] (C. Walsh).
In the days and weeks that followed, our team came together to grieve and to support each other. Acts of kindness occurred, such as runners continuing on to the nearest hospital to donate blood, local residents opening their homes to runners, and fundraisers to support the victims and their families. Runners who had not crossed the finish line were offered entry to the 2014 Boston Marathon. I was grateful for the opportunity to get to run Boston again, with my teammates who had become family. On April 21, 2014, the field was larger than ever, numbering some 36,000 runners. I laced up my sneakers and joined my teammates in the early morning hours to board the bus to Hopkinton, Massachusetts. We were ready to reclaim our city. There were more than 10,000 volunteers and record-breaking crowds. My memories of the day remain just as vivid. The countless hugs and high-fives, the “Boston Strong” signs, the pediatric oncology patients and families cheering at Mile 20, the sounds of cowbells, and the bright yellow and blue paint of the finish line. I was overwhelmed with emotions as I finally crossed the finish line, thinking about the victims and their families. I felt a sense of accomplishment in finishing the marathon but knew that this would not be my last race. I deeply cherish my mementos symbolizing the Boston Marathon. The knit scarf that I received from the Marathon Scarf Project 2014, which wrapped 7,300 athletes in love and courage at the Old North Church in Boston. My team jersey, still pinned with my bib, my Boston Athletic Association medal that sparkles with the iconic Boston Marathon unicorn, and the photos with my teammates and loved ones. These mementos bring me back to that day. Over the years, my teammates and I have stayed in touch and have traveled to run more races together. I hope to return to Boston someday to run the marathon with my daughter. But
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.01.006 0738-3991/© 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Please cite this article in press as: C. Walsh, Lacing up: Reflections from returning to run the 2014 Boston marathon, Patient Educ Couns (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.01.006
G Model PEC 6494 No. of Pages 2
2
C. Walsh / Patient Education and Counseling xxx (2019) xxx–xxx
what I’ve learned from running the Boston Marathon doesn’t really have anything at all to do with running. It’s about appreciating each day and supporting each another. It’s about slowing down to be more present with patients and families in my work as a pediatric medical social worker and young adult cancer researcher. It’s about listening carefully and thoughtfully. It's about responding with empathy. It’s about taking
chances. It’s about helping to connect patients and families with others who share their experience. We are stronger together. Acknowledgments Casey Walsh is supported by an NIH/NCI5T32 CA092408.
Please cite this article in press as: C. Walsh, Lacing up: Reflections from returning to run the 2014 Boston marathon, Patient Educ Couns (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.01.006