This Mile is For...
NEIRAD enilno edition
Load printer friendly version Attention DHS! Raquel Welsh has been spotted running around Darien to prepare for our marathon charity run. No, it is not Raquel Welsh, the superstar actress from the 1960s. It is Raquel Welsh, teacher at Pear Tree Point School and assistant coach of girls cross country.
This 23-year-old was one of the 40,000 to line up on Staten Island to begin one of the most grueling physical and mental challenges on the planet: the ING New York Marathon. After waking up at 3:45 a.m. and getting sick prior to the race due to nerves, Welsh made it through the 26.2-mile race in only three hours, 38 minutes, and 11 seconds on November 1.
For Welsh, running in the marathon wasn’t simply to pursue her passion of running; for her it was a way to spread a fundraising idea for cancer patients. After running the New York Marathon alone, Welsh managed to raise more than $3,000 for Team Continuum, a non-profit organization.
Team Continuum is an association that began in 2003 after doctor, Paul Nicholls, ran in the New York Marathon to raise funds for one of his cancer patients. The organization has since dedicated its time towards fundraising for families battling cancer and for treatment centers around the nation. After only six years, the organization has raised and distributed more than $3.5 million.
Welsh came to hear about Team Continuum through the New York Road Runners who host marathons. Welsh instantly gravitated to this organization because it supported a cause close to her heart. Several years ago Welsh’s mother passed away due to a rare form of brain cancer. “When my mom died my senior year in high school we didn’t have the funds for cancer treatments and ambulance rides and all the medical bills and funeral costs and everything that goes with it. Knowing the financial burden that I had, I felt that I was obligated to help this cause,” Welsh said.
For the last eight months, Welsh committed much of her time and effort to fundraising and preparing for the New York Marathon. Though Welsh was thoroughly busy teaching at Pear Tree Point School and co-coaching girls cross country, she explained that she forced herself to stick to a strict and strenuous schedule that would help her prepare. “I wake up at six in the morning and I’ll run maybe five to six miles, eat, and got to work. After work, I’ll come run whatever cross country practice is. It could be strides, mile repeats and then I’ll run my workout that can consist of maybe 800-meter repeats, mile repeats, or just a long run. Maybe 12 to 15 miles,” Welsh said.
After putting so much time into training for this challenge, Welsh realized that she would need a lot of support to make it through the 26.2-mile race. She later came up with a unique form of support system where people would wear special t-shirts and be mile markers along the course of the race. DHS senior, Mackenzie Jones, came up with the t-shirt design, “not all heroes wear capes”.
Prior to the race Welsh explained, “There are about 103 girls and boys that are involved in this t-shirt support system and they’re going to be wearing the shirt and hopefully coming out to the city for the race and cheering the team on as we complete this task.”
DHS junior Megan Keane was one of the 103 students who was involved in the “t-shirt support system” and went into New York City to cheer Welsh on during the race. “Seeing her run was amazing. We were right near the finish because we knew the last few meters would be the hardest. Finally we saw her and it made waiting in the cold worth it. She looked so determined to finish the last 800 of the race. It was really inspiring to watch all these people finish the marathon. 26 miles is a tough race and seeing thousands of people do it was amazing,” said Keane.
“Upon finishing the race I decided it was not a race at all but more a journey without a destination. As I came running through the last 800 meters, a rush of excitement and exhilaration came overt my body. I crossed the line and was struck with tears of emotion. The pain, of course, overtook my body but I was so excited to have run in honor of cancer survivors, all the donors, the charity, and all my inspiring athletes at DHS.”
Welsh’s efforts have helped contribute to causes across the nation, however, they have has also helped families within the Darien community. Part of Welsh’s inspiration to run in the New York Marathon was to honor her mother, along with three Darien families that have suffered, struggled, or survived cancer. These families are the Jordans, Meehans, and Calbys. Welsh ran the marathon with the names of these families on the back of her t-shirt as a reminder of whom she was running for.
On April 1st of 2010, Welsh will once again hit the street to run in the Boston Marathon as a way to honor these families. “I am SO excited about the Boston Marathon. Many runners say it’s the most prestigious race to run and once you have run it you are an ultimate runner. I am pumped to test my strengths again…” Welsh said.
Though winning a marathon would be an amazing achievement to add to Welsh’s list of accomplishments, her main goal isn’t just to win; it’s to spread awareness of a cause close to her heart. “I know my story is just one of millions. But I hope that in sharing it, people will become part of this team to fight for others!”
Though Welsh’s name may be pronounced the same as the 1960s sex symbol, Raquel Welch, the two are creating a much different kind of buzz. Though Welsh may not have her story pasted in the pages of Vogue or Time Magazine, she is using her running to spread word of a cause bringing hope to millions of families across the nation.
