Volunteer Highlight: Meet Tom Greeley

My son Robert was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when he was 15.  He is now 21 and in remission.  I give so much credit to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation for all the research and fundraising that they have done over the years.

I was given the opportunity to run the Boston Marathon by a friend who receives two bibs each year for being a member of the BAA.  In 2019 he gave me his bibs, because he knew I always wanted to run the most elite marathon in the world.  I then realized my calling to run the Boston Marathon was to run for my son.  I called the Crohn’s & Colitis New England office to ask if they would like for me and my step son KJ to run for their cause if they would help us fund raise.  They were thrilled.  We were able to have articles written in the local Sherborn paper as well as our own web page that they created for us.  In all we raised over $7,000.  Training was the easy part, because I blocked out time each week to run with my short days in the middle of the week and my long run on weekends.  I also kept active by lifting weights and drumming with my band Wachadoo. 

Come race day I thought the 400 miles of training was enough to get me to the finish line, but with not listening to the advice of my coach Marc Blandin about proper diet during the race it would come back to haunt me.  I began to feel awful at the 13 mile mark by Wellesley College.  I was lucky that there was a medical tent in Wellesley Hills that was at the half way point of the race.  I had terrible cramps in my thighs and I could not feel my ankles.  They were able to do their magic and get me back on the course to take on the three Heart Break Hills.  Luckily I found a lone ripe yellow banana and a bottle of fresh water along the road way.  A spectator even gave me a bag of salted pretzels that helped stave off my hunger along with anti -cramping pills to reduce the cramps in my legs.  In the end I crossed the finish line in 7 hours and 28 minutes.  

What made the race so special was the fact that so many people were running for so many different causes.  Truly caring people who I believe are the real heroes of this race.  I am so proud to have completed the race in one piece and to have been able to give to such a great cause.  I would encourage those that have a loved one with this terrible disease to do whatever you can in the way of volunteering or to help raise money for this great cause.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity.