Why this pediatrics rehab aide is running for Spaulding

Heather Ellis is running the 2025 Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s "Race for Rehab Team."

Heather Ellis is running the 2025 Boston Marathon. (Photo courtesy of Heather Ellis)

March 7, 2025

1 minute to read

In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston.

Name: Heather Ellis
Age: 22
From: Westwood

Having watched the Boston Marathon from Wellesley every year since I was a child, I have always dreamed of running this historic race. I am thrilled to run for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s Race for Rehab Team, an organization close to my heart. I have had the incredible opportunity to work at Spaulding for the past year and a half as a rehabilitation aide on the pediatrics floor.

Helping Spaulding’s youngest patients recover from unimaginable challenges has been an invaluable experience. During my time at Spaulding, I have witnessed the direct impact of rehabilitation medicine on my patients’ lives, and have seen how this hospital’s incredible programs – including their innovative technology, robotic therapy, and Adaptive Sports Center – enable patients to regain function and make miraculous recoveries.

Working at Spaulding has significantly shaped the way I work with and interact with others, how I view the world around me, and has inspired my academic and professional aspirations, leading me to pursue a Doctorate of Physical Therapy Degree, which I will begin in July of 2025 at Northeastern University. I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity to give back to Spaulding, with appreciation for all I have learned and gained from them. My passion for running and helping others drives me to support this incredible hospital that provides exceptional care and rehabilitation services, and I am so proud to be able to support their mission of delivering compassionate care to help individuals recover from, or learn to live fully with, illness, injury or loss of ability.

I am honored to run the Boston Marathon and raise funds for a place so close to my heart, and I can’t wait for race day!

Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.