Dave McGillivray
Boston Marathon
Boston, MA USA
"I felt an inherent responsibility and obligation to help those who were less fortunate."
Career Roadmap
Dave's work combines: Non-Profit Organizations, Sports, and Being Physically Active
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Mathematics, General
Merrimack College
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Always wanted to be an athlete, but was picked last, cut from teams because he was so short; got into running because "no one can cut you."
2.
Entered Boston Marathon at age 16; his grandfather said he'd meet him at mile 24; Dave collapsed at mile 16 or 17, was taken to the hospital.
3.
Called his grandfather, who said, "Well, you learned...I'll be there next year waiting, but you've gotta train this time."
4.
His grandfather passed away two months later-this inspired him to train like crazy, but he got a stomach virus the night before the race.
5.
Still attempted to run even though he was sick, sat down at mile 21, realized he was sitting right in front of cemetery where his grandfather was buried.
6.
His grandfather had lived up to his commitment to be there; to honor that, he dragged himself across the finish line; vowed to run the race every year.
7.
Visited Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; wanted to do something special for them; ran across the country in 80 days to raise funds for them.
8.
Finished the cross-country race at Fenway Park in front of 32,000 people who gave him a 10-minute standing ovation.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I always wanted to be one thing and one thing only: an athlete. But I was vertically challenged. I wasn't the tallest kid.