As a Brigham Anesthesia resident now in my 4th year and final year of residency, the opportunity to run in the Boston Marathon seemed like the perfect end to this memorable time in my life. And who better to do it with but the BWH Center for Trauma Innovation which I have seen save lives firsthand.

 

Running has always served as my favorite form of stress relief, giving me the opportunity to clear my mind, enjoy the outdoors and remain physically fit. As a college student at Clemson looking to challenge myself, I ran the Nashville Marathon in April of 2017. Now 8 years later, I would love to race 26.2 miles again. After moving to Boston in 2021 for residency, I have loved seeing the spirit of Boston come to life on Marathon Monday. It has always struck me by how pervasive running is in Boston throughout the year - from folks out in shorts running in the dead of winter, to the many runners you see across the emerald necklace. The countless miles my wife, dog (Waverly) and I have run in Boston have motivated me to reach for the ultimate Boston running goal of participating in the marathon.

 

Racing in the 2025 Boston Marathon would be the perfect culmination of an incredible 4 years in Boston. As an anesthesiologist, I have seen the impact of trauma on patients that I care for at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Waverly and I can't wait to train and run Boston!

More about the foundation: In 2013, Boston was changed forever when a beautiful Marathon Monday turned into a senseless tragedy. Gillian Reny, then a high school senior, was one of 39 critically injured patients rushed to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where doctors and nurses saved her life and legs. With gratitude to the Brigham, the Reny family established The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation to help other trauma patients regain their strength and ability to step strong once again.The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation aims to catalyze trauma innovation for injured civilians and military heroes through multidisciplinary investigative collaborations across the continuum of trauma care, from prevention to treatment and recovery. Stepping Strong-funded initiatives are making a profound impact on trauma survivors and their families worldwide. The center has raised more than $30 million to fuel trauma research, advance education, build community, and inspire advocacy. But much more needs to be done.Trauma is a neglected global epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control:

• Trauma is the number one cause of death for people 44 or younger, ahead of cancer and heart disease.
• Traumatic injuries comprise 40% of visits to emergency departments.
• More than $2 trillion per year is spent on decreased productivity, work loss, and medical costs due to traumatic injuries.
• Despite the significant burden of trauma, less than 2% of federal funding is allocated toward trauma research, inhibiting our ability to understand how to prevent, treat, and improve recovery from traumatic injury.

The Stepping Strong Center remains committed to serving as a leader in trauma research and innovation to bridge this gap and advance the field of trauma care. When you support a member of the Brigham's Stepping Strong Boston Marathon Team, you are helping the center turn tragedy into hope for civilians and military heroes worldwide who have suffered devastating traumatic injuries.

Thank you for supporting this extraordinary group of runners and continuing to honor the Boston Strong spirit that still defines our city today. Learn more about the Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at the Brigham: www.bwhsteppingstrong.org Qualified runners are encouraged to join our team as well.