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For this Boston Marathon runner, the starting line is everything
A Marine veteran and mental health professional is running to honor resilience — and support fellow service members.
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. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.
Name: Gregory Baxter
Age: 43
City: Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Over the last couple of years, the running process has become a metaphor for life: the ideal, the goal, the plan, the struggle, the highs, the lows, the results, and the repeat. It isn’t even about the finish line. (That is just the icing on the cake.) For me, it is the starting line — the physical representation of the entire process coming through to fruition. That is where the emotion of it all comes for me. Being able to fully experience personal pride and accomplishment in something much bigger than myself and having full confidence that, regardless of any outcome, there is still purpose.
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As a career Marine officer, and now a mental health professional in California, I have the opportunity every day to transform any personal struggle into meaning, and help others do the same. It is only because that opportunity was given to me; I would not have it any other way. I have come to learn that in order to enjoy what you have, you have to fully accept where you came from and the battle that goes along with it. I would not be here without this opportunity. And the greatest gift of it all: My son gets to witness it.
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I am personally and professionally humbled to see the level of care and assistance Semper Fi & America’s Fund provides to our service men and women and their families. By supporting this cause, I aim to raise awareness and funds that will make a real difference in the lives of those who have sacrificed so much for our country. And on a most personal level, I aim to promote the resiliency necessary for a life worth living.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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