Congratulations to the Perkins Boston Marathon Team
Leslie Nordin (center left) ran the Boston Marathon® blindfolded to inspire her son Sawyer, who was born blind.
We want to congratulate all the members of Perkins' Boston Marathon® Team! These committed individuals have raised a collective $170,000. Below you can get to know the runners and find out what motivated them. Click on a runner's name to read their full story.
Christina Ashton
(Watertown, MA) Finished in 4:16:23 - Christina has a personal appreciation for her work as a teaching assistant in Perkins' Deafblind Program. She has five siblings who are visually impaired, blind, and deafblind. Every day Christina sees the impact Perkins has on not only her students but also on the community and the world. Bolstered by family members who came from Utah to see her run, Christina carried her camera phone to snap pix of her supporters along the route.
Kristina Bateman
(Wrentham, MA) Finished in 4:48:08 - Kristina's daughter Naomi was born with severe brain injury. Doctors thought she would never see, hear, walk, talk, or even eat on her own. The family kept faith and believed their little girl would be healed. Today Naomi, 3, attends Perkins Early Learning Center. "She absolutely LOVES school and cannot wait to get there every day," says Kristina. Naomi continues to progress, but gradually, not instantly. Kristina says she already knew “our life is a marathon.” Her mom came from Texas to cheer her on, and her friend Heather sprinted alongside her for the last portion of the race.
Mara Bresnahan
(Cambridge, MA) Finished in 5:24:05 - Mara is a Health Services employee at Perkins. Nine years ago her work as an aide in the Deafblind Program inspired her to pursue a career in nursing. Mara coordinates medical care for Perkins students, often acting as liaison between hospitals, social workers, and parents. “It’s a very cool job,” she says, “All my friends are very jealous.” She prepares students to manage their own medications, helping them along the road to personal independence. “I spend a lot of time with students – that’s best part of the job for me.” Mara ran side-by-side wth colleague and pal Kami Martin Guthrie. They looked like the whole experience was a wonderful lark, even mugging for the camera!
Jeff Cammuso
(Uxbridge, MA) Finished in 4:28:01 - Jeff was the leader of the G. Green Construction crew that recently installed a new elevator in Perkin's Howe Building. Seeing Perkins students and teachers interacting each day convinced Jeff, an avid marathon runner, that he should run the Boston Marathon for Perkins. And run he did, waving and high-fiving supporters along the way.
Kami Martin Guthrie
(Northborough, MA) Finished in 5:24:06 - Kami, an employee in Perkins' Health Services, is running to honor her son Connor, who was born with blindness and complex medical issues from a brain injury. Connor passed away the weekend of the 1999 Boston Marathon. "I vowed to run the Marathon the next year and I did ... since then I have run six Boston Marathons," Kami said. She finished just a tenth of a second behind her friend and running buddy, Mara Bresnahan. Read a story featuring Kami in the MetroWest Daily News.
Pierre Helias
(Confignon, Switzerland) Finished in 3:57:18 - Pierre, a Procter & Gamble executive from Switzerland, found the experience of scaling Mont Blanc with a climber who is blind to be “illuminating and fascinating.” He is running for Perkins to help people who are visually impaired live more independently. He says, “I am happy to help.” He took further inspiration from his wife, Virginie, who set a pace for Pierre and finished at 3:29:17.
Elysse Magnotto
(Boston, MA) Finished in 4:33:37 - Elysse volunteered at Perkins in the summer of 2008 and was impressed by the scope of the school's mission. "I decided to train and raise money for Perkins because I've seen the good work it has done and the reputation it has rightfully earned," says Elysse. She accomplished her goal – not only finishing the race, but overshooting her fundraising goal!
Mary McAdams
(Dedham, MA) Finished in 4:16:23 - Mary, a teacher in Perkins Deafblind Program, says: "Every day I realize just how much the children and staff amaze me. The kids, despite so many physical adversities, are fun loving, hysterical and some of the toughest people I know! ... I want to raise as much money as I possibly can so that the students can have all that they need and deserve."
Leslie Nordin
(Hingham, MA) Finished in 4:17:48 - Leslie is running to inspire her 4 1/2 years old son Sawyer, who was born blind. "By completing this race, I hope to inspire Sawyer to meet the challenges he faces each and every day, and to raise funds to support the institution that gives him the tools to do so ... because of Perkins, I know that Sawyer is getting the education and training he needs ... to reach the goals he will set for himself throughout his life." Leslie ran the marathon blindfolded to inspire her son that he, too, can succeed in the long run. Four-year-old Sawyer is a student at Perkins. Read a story about Leslie from the Daily News Tribune.
Mike Pecorella
(Watertown, MA) Finished in 5:17:56 - Mike has been teaching physical education in Perkins Deafblind Program for seven years. "My students have taught me about having strength when you are against the odds. To have courage when you're scared to try new things, to have commitment to keep working when you're tired, sore, and frustrated. My students have taught me so much about how to be a man and how to live a peaceful life."
Paul & Christian Polman
Paul Polman (Geneva, Switzerland) Finished in 4:00:06 & Christian Polman (Cambridge, MA) Finished in 3:47:07 - The father and son team is raising funds for the Kiliminjaro Blind Trust, a partner of Perkins International focused on providing access to braille literacy for children in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. Paul, chief of the global consumer giant, Unilever, serves as chair of Perkins International Advisory Board. Christian who lives in Cambridge and works in Boston is a volunteer and a Member of the Corporation. "Because blind people with braille skills are 80 percent more likely to find employment, our ultimate goal is for each blind child to have access to a braille writing machine - their pen and paper." Christian ran despite a pesky knee, and even bested his dad’s race time by 13 minutes!
Erin Selke
(Watertown, MA) Finished in 5:52:34 - Erin says her job as a teacher in Perkins Deafblind Program has changed her as a person. "It has made me appreciate my daily life and challenge myself in many different ways. Even though each student I work with faces challenges each day, they have learned so much going to Perkins. It makes running a marathon seem small." Nothing small about Erin’s heart, as she conquered Heartbreak Hill and finished with flair.
Fred von Gottberg
(Cambridge, MA) Finished in 4:33:41 - It has been 15 years since Fred, a member of the Corporation and dedicated Perkins supporter, ran his last marathon. "Now I'm 40 with much less free time available ... also my bones and joints don't seem to work quite the way they used to so I know the training this time will be challenging." Fifteen years after his last marathon run, Fred looked fresh as a daisy – perhaps buoyed by the knowledge that he over-topped his $10K fundraising goal by a wide percentage!
Paul Voiland
(Montague, MA) Finished in 4:39:34 - Paul’s daughter is an independent-thinking Perkins Secondary School senior, twenty years after doctors told Paul she would never have the capacity to learn. Paul is running what his daughter has learned at Perkins. “Out on the long training runs… I must push myself each week a little farther than my endurance was able to carry me the week before. Then I think of what real endurance is. It is the dedication of the teachers and staff of Perkins.” Paul sailed across the finish line knowing his lovely daughter, Kara, was cheering him on all the way.
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