One of the major highlights of this past weekend was the speech given by Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivary.
I vaguely remembered reading about him in a recent issue of Runner’s World but clearly didn’t read enough of the story. This guy was one of the most impressive I’ve ever heard of. Dave has raised over $100 million for charity in his running career — primarily for The Jimmy Fund.
He clearly has a big, beautiful heart and it was contagious! I loved that he has run the Boston Marathon 41 times. Now that he is the race director, he actually runs the course after everyone else is done — so he is always the last finisher. He prefers it that way.
I took live-twitter notes during the speech and wanted to share some of them with you. The tidbits were too good to keep to myself and you better believe he had me crying by the end of his speech.
1. Marathons are all about self-confidence and self-esteem.
2. Running can transform people. Dave started the first sanctioned running club inside a maximum security prison. He was criticized for it but I loved his mentality about it. He said he wants to see guys come out of prison better than when they went in. Running will do that. Obviously, this remind me a lot of Back on My Feet.
3. Don’t live in the past: “My greatest accomplishment is my next one.”
4. Don’t set reckless goals in life (like running far faster than you’ve trained for — in life or race)
5. People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.
6. “I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to my fellow creatures, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again.” — Stephen Grellet
His stories made you want to go out and raise money for a cause you believe in. It made you think you really have the power to help change lives — and that marathons are one amazing way to do that.
I may cry easily — and I did so a couple of times in the course of this speech — but I don’t think there was one person who walked away uninspired. It’s people like the Dave that help create more people like Dave — and that’s how the world remains a better place. Thank you for sharing your story.
