Nantucket Well Represented At Upcoming Boston Marathon

After six Nantucket residents ran in the 2021 Boston Marathon back in October, there will be at least ten Nantucket residents participating in the 2022 Boston Marathon. Some of the runners will be participating for the first time while others enter the marathon with plenty of experience.

Ryan Clark, Morgan Coffin, Carlisle Jensen, James Meehan, Sean Mitchell, Grace-Anne Tornovish, Bradley Humphries, John Magnusson, Ben Zieff, and Mary McGinty are the ten registered runners known to the Current.

Ryan Clark - Clark is running the Boston Marathon and raising money for Cops for Kids with Cancer.

"It is a privilege to represent such a great organization and I ask that you please join me in contributing to an amazing cause which improves the quality of life for children and families impacted by cancer," Clark said. "Thank you all for your support!"

You can donate to Clark's cause by clicking here.

Morgan Coffin – Coffin will be running in her first marathon and is raising money for the Brittany Fund for Trauma and Recovery, which was created in 2013 in the wake of the Boston Marathon Bombing by survivor Brittany Loring.

BFTR provides support to promote health and well-being for families and individuals affected by traumatic events such as natural disasters, car accidents, and acts of terror. Funds provided seek to serve the physical and mental needs of trauma survivors.

You can donate to Morgan’s cause by clicking here.

Carlisle Jensen – We documented Jensen’s story and how she is running in her second Boston Marathon. You can access the full story by clicking here.

In short, Jensen is running in her father’s memory and to raise money for Compassionate Care ALS, an organization that helped her family every step of the way through her father’s battle with the terminal disease and continues to be there for them through the grieving process.

You can click here to donate to Carlisle’s cause.

James Meehan – Meehan is running to support cancer care and research at Dana Farber. On his fundraising page, Meehan says that his family, including himself, has been hit hard by cancer.

Meehan was diagnosed in 2020 with prostate cancer and is currently being treated at Mass General Hospital, an affiliate of Dana Farber. Meehan’s brother has successfully faced multiple myeloma and his mother died from small cell lung cancer.

“The good news is that we are making rapid progress against cancer thanks to Dana Farber and other top notch research centers,” Meehan says on his fundraising page. “Our team goal is to raise $5 million and my personal goal is $12,500.”

Meehan has raised just over $10,000 as of this writing, so he has nearly reached his goal already with a few weeks to go. You can donate to his cause by clicking here.

Sean Mitchell – Mitchell is running in the 2022 Boston Marathon for the same organization he ran for in October’s marathon, the Last Call Foundation.
We featured Mitchell in a story back in October of 2021, which you can read by clicking here to learn more about the foundation, why he chose them, and more.
Mitchell and his wife Ally have designed “We Love Firefighters” merchandise to help raise funds for the Last Call Foundation. You can check out the gear by clicking here. If you want to simply just donate money, you can click here.

Grace-Anne Tornovish – Tornovish will be running in support of Tedy’s Team, an organization that supports stroke and heart disease survivors along with their families. The organization was originally set up by former New England Patriots linebacker and Nantucket summer resident Tedy Bruschi in 2005 after he suffered a stroke at the age of 31.
Tornovish says that heart disease is a condition that is very important to her because it runs in her family.
“When I was a sophomore in college, I learned that my grandpa had suffered from a heart attack,” Tornovish says on her fundraising page. “My uncle, a police officer for Nantucket at the time, was the first responder to an elderly male who had collapsed in the Stop and Shop parking lot. Not knowing it was his own father, my uncle responded and saved my grandfather's life.”
Tornovish’s grandfather was flown to Boston, where he was in a coma for about a month. She said his recovery was long and slow but because of the surgery and care he received, he was able to come back home to Nantucket. Sadly, two and a half years later during Tornovish’s senior year of college, her grandpa passed away due to heart disease complications.
“A few years later my uncle, the police officer who saved my grandpa and is now a detective, also suffered a heart attack and had to be medevaced to Boston as well,” Tornovish said. “My uncle also had surgery and was able to come home and return to his family. My uncle was not able to go back to the job he loved because of his heart condition but has been healthy ever since. Heart disease is something that my family must monitor closely and takes very seriously now. Running for Tedy's Team will allow me to raise money that will help raise awareness for heart disease as well as stroke.”
To donate to Tornovish’s cause, you can click here.
Bradley Humphries – Humphries is running in the Boston Marathon to support Mass General Hospital. Humphries experienced a two year health setback on Labor Day of 2017 and embarked on a long journey back to normal.

"It started with a gallstone attack that gave way to a series of digestive disorders with my pancreas, gallbladder, liver, and portal vein. After a million tests, procedures, and surgery I was left with symptoms that would not clear. A new team of MGH doctors uncovered the underlying problem, which was that the neurological connection between my brain and digestive system was severed. This led to many months of medicine, mind-body work, about a dozen eastern/homeopathic approaches followed and as I turned 50 I was back to work and full health."

Humphries says he feared for his life. He said once he got out of that scary time, he feared his digestive disorders would never be fixed.

"I’d feel terrible all the time no matter what I ate or drank," he said. "Thankfully now I’m 52 and healthier than I was at 40. For this reason, I’m running for MGH for a second year. They saved me. Starting with the ER visit that landed me as an admitted patient for a few weeks, through the million visits with doctors and tests over the 2 year journey. I’m blessed to be surrounded by medical magicians at MGH and thankful beyond measure to their team approach to healing me. I’m gonna run my heart out on April 18th and hope that you’ll generously support my mission. It will be quite a contrast from last year’s virtual 26.2, and this time the race will be on the official race course. I can’t wait!"

To donate to Humphries fundraiser, click here.
Drew Magnusson – Magnusson will be running the Boston Marathon representing the Bill Belichick Foundation. He says that over the past 25 years, sports have played a significant role in his life and have helped him become the person he is today.

"Unfortunately not everyone has those same opportunities," he said. "It was a privilege to be able to participate in sports, and it is an experience that I hope to provide for others that may not have the means. The Bill Belichick Foundation aims to provide coaching, mentorship, and financial support to individuals, communities, and organizations. Focusing on football and lacrosse, its mission is to bring the values of the Belichick family – a love of sports, coaching and team building – to the athletic leaders of tomorrow.
You can donate to Magnusson's cause by clicking here.

Ben Zieff - Zieff is running the Boston Marathon to raise money for IMPACT Melanoma, which is dedicated to preventing Melanoma through education, early detection and prevention. This is a cause that is close to his heart after losing his mother to Melanoma 12 years ago.

"While 12 years feels like a lifetime, I’m thankful for the memories I have with her," Zieff says on his fundraising page. "When I think of my mom, I remember her dedication - never missing a soccer game or event, her tireless work ethic and tact, and her unwavering ability to joke and laugh. I’m grateful for everything she has given me and for the influence that she continues to have on my life. I’m running in honor of my mom, and to raise money in hopes of playing a small part in reducing the prevalence of this horrible disease."

You can donate to Zieff's cause by clicking here.
Mary McGinty – McGinty is running in the Boston Marathon, but the Current could not locate her fundraising page. If anyone has information on her page, please email davidcreed@n-magazine.com.