Jake Obid is running Boston in honor of an educator who inspired many
"My goal for this year's marathon is to spread his story to touch as many people as possible."
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.
Name: Jake Obid
Age: 23
From: Holliston
I am fortunate enough for the second time to be running the Boston Marathon for team Challenge ALS. While this will not be my first time running the Boston Marathon, as I ran back in 2018, my reasoning stays the same.
My “why” is Bill Wechsler, aka Wex. Wex was the school-based social worker at Holliston High School for 16-plus years. He founded the “Focus Program” at Holliston, which essentially gave kids dealing with any external circumstance an equal opportunity to succeed in a traditional high school environment. Wex devoted his life to helping those who needed him and his many unique gifts and changed the lives of hundreds of struggling kids, including myself.
In the Spring of 2016, Bill Wechsler was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as ALS. While this disease began to physically deteriorate Wex, he remained the same selfless and compassionate man I had come to know. He remained in school, even when ALS took his ability to speak and walk, and offered advice through alternative ways of communication. Wex had ALS, ALS never had him. He retired after the 2017 school year, but opened the doors to his home for any student who needed him. This was something I took full advantage of, and developed a unique relationship with him where we simply became good friends despite a difference of over 40 years in age.
I had the idea of honoring him in 2018 by running the Boston Marathon, and what ensued was over $15,000 raised and an outpour of love and support for Wex in some of his final months. In the fall of 2018, 7 months after I crossed the finish line for the first time, ALS took the life of my friend. Wex gave me the honor of being one of the people to speak at his funeral, and my message was simple. I always believed Wex was immortal, and I still believe he will be based on the neverending amount of love and wisdom he left behind for all of us to live through him. My goal for this year’s marathon is to spread his story to touch as many people as possible, and to raise as much money as possible in the name of Bill Wechsler.
Please join my fight, and help us live in a world without ALS.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
Be civil. Be kind.
Read our full community guidelines.To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address