Why I’m Running: ‘I will be working hard to make her proud’
"As I learned from her, life was most meaningful when spent exploring and challenging ourselves."
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon runners share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. If you’re running the marathon, you can share your story here.
Name: Aidan Gildea
Age: 22
From: Cohasset
Running the Boston Marathon has been a goal of mine since my freshman year of college — and now it is becoming a reality.
This April, I will be part of Dana-Farber’s Marathon Challenge team, raising money and awareness for critical cancer research at their Claudia Adams Barr Program.
It is hard to come by someone whose life has not been affected by cancer in some way. I am running in honor of my grandma, Nancee Grimes, who passed of cancer in 2018.
As one of four boys in my family, she was our number one fan, always there to encourage our endeavors and celebrate our successes (and failures)! When I heard of her passing, I was halfway across the world on a high school exchange program in Tanzania — an experience she had pushed me to do.
It was hard not being with my family at that moment, but as I learned from her, life was most meaningful when spent exploring and challenging ourselves. So now as I strive for two major finish lines this spring – the Boston Marathon and graduating from Duke – I will be working hard to make her proud.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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