We are thrilled to be participating in the 125th Running of the Boston Marathon® on October 11th! This is our 14th year as an Official Partner of John Hancock in the Marathon Non-Profit Program. We are so honored to introduce our 2021 Boston Marathon team. These individuals are dedicating their time to train and fundraise for us, and we hope you will support them, too!
Tim Bain
Having supported Team Samaritans in the past, it is an honor to be able to participate with them in this year’s 125th Boston Marathon. As a veteran Army medic and current firefighter for the city of Lowell, I have always found satisfaction in helping others. I also enjoy the company of my two daughters, reading, writing, drawing, hiking, and of course, running!
Rachel Calderone
I am a senior attending Dexter Southfield in Brookline. I run cross country, track, and field and play basketball. During the summer, I intern with a law firm and hope to one day become an attorney. I enjoy watching sports, going to the beach, and spending time with my family and friends. I am thrilled to be running the 125th Boston Marathon for Team Samaritans. I have attended the Boston Marathon every year since I can remember and have always dreamed of participating. I chose to run for Samaritans in honor of my Uncle Michael and because I want to help remove the stigma surrounding mental health.
Nina Blum
Born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Nina moved to Boston to attend college. She fell in love with the city, pursued her Master’s degree, and is currently working as a Special Education Teacher. When she’s not in the classroom, Nina enjoys playing with her golden retriever, testing new recipes in the kitchen, and traveling with her husband. She is running in memory of her father, who died by suicide in 2012. Her goal is to end the stigma associated with mental illness and help those who are struggling to seek support. She is honored to be running with team Samaritans and is dedicating her race to her father.
Erik Lindgren
I am thrilled to run the 2021 Boston Marathon and fundraise for Team Samaritans. With mental health awareness taking a more prominent role in society, I elected to support a cause that provides invaluable resources to those in need. As a recent MBA graduate, I wanted to cap off my experience by honoring the fortunate position I find myself in after overcoming my own challenging experience. In my free time, I enjoy working out, the beach, reading, hanging out with friends, and appreciating life’s beauty.
Tim O’Leary
I am proud to be selected to run with Team Samaritans in the 2021 Boston Marathon! I am also honored that I will be able to dedicate this run to our Bride, Mother, Sister, and Friend – Maggie O’Leary. Most know Maggie was the biggest cheerleader in all our lives. Many also know that Maggie struggled throughout her life with depression. While Maggie’s death was tragic, it does not define her life. Her life is defined by her art, her photography, her gardens, her adventures, and most importantly, by her influence on all of us who loved her. What I am learning through my difficult healing journey is the need to be open and honest about destigmatizing suicide. What better way to honor Maggie than by helping others.
Kate King
I am honored to have been chosen to run the 125th Boston Marathon for Team Samaritans. I have been toying with the outrageous idea of running a marathon for some time, and the chance to achieve this goal while raising funds and awareness for such a worthy organization is a dream come true. As a psychologist, I rely on the Samaritans crisis hotline and have had numerous clients call them over the years. Helping to support them this year is one small way I can say thanks to the Samaritans for always being there for people in crisis, for helping to break the stigma that surrounds mental health, and for offering support and care to people left behind after a suicide. Along with my work serving clients, I am an assistant professor at William James College and cohost of the Noble Mind podcast. I grew up in the suburbs of Boston and spent my high school years selling CDs at the Burlington Mall. When not social distancing, I am hitting museums, traveling, watching quirky documentaries, eating pizza, and dreaming of future cats with my partner.
Alexandra Arnold
I’m a longtime Boston resident, and I’m thrilled to be running the 125th Boston Marathon, which has been a goal of mine since I started running seven years ago. I feel incredibly lucky to be running for Samaritans, which provides invaluable support to people who struggle with their mental health. In my day job, I’m an attorney, and I’m particularly interested in how our criminal laws and drug policies have downstream impacts on public health. I also love to hike, cook, and take pictures of my two extremely fluffy cats.
Rachel Long
It is my honor to be running the 125th Boston Marathon as part of Team Samaritans. I am dedicating my training and fundraising in honor of my beloved aunt, with deep gratitude to the Samaritans for their support and kindness as we navigated our grief after her passing. I live north of Boston with my husband and son, who enthusiastically rally around helping me train, and I’m proud and happy to be a middle school teacher. My marathon goal: to treasure the experience, to help remove the stigma of mental health, support Samaritans, and finish! Rachel Long
Ben Waber
Ben Waber is the president and co-founder of Humanyze, a workplace analytics company. He is a visiting scientist at the MIT Media Lab, previously worked as a senior researcher at Harvard Business School, and received his Ph.D. in organizational science from MIT. Waber’s work has been featured in major media outlets such as HBR, Wired, The Economist, and NPR. His book, People Analytics, was published by the Financial Times Press in 2013.
He started volunteering for Samaritans in 2006 after an incoming professor at MIT died by suicide. This profound loss motivated him to volunteer for over 13 years at Samaritans, answering calls on the helpline and mentoring other befrienders. He’s excited to help support Samaritans by running the marathon to raise funds for their vital mission.
Ravi Bajpai
Ravi joined Samaritans in August 2019 as a helpline volunteer, a role he has worked at ever since. A Massachusetts local and second-generation immigrant Ravi grew up in Natick (mile 10 of the Boston Marathon). He then attended Tufts University, studying biochemistry. After online graduation earlier this year, he then transitioned into molecular biology, joining a team of researchers at MGH trying to develop new tools in genetic editing. He is also very fond of both dogs and cats and has fostered and trained over 20 as a steppingstone before they find their family. He is excited to be embarking on this journey to represent Samaritans and raise awareness about suicide prevention.
Phoebe Whitwell
Phoebe is the current Salesforce Manager at Samaritans and is delighted to be representing the staff on the Marathon team! She has lived in the Boston area for over 10 years attending school and working in the nonprofit sector. Fundraising and running for Samaritans is deeply meaningful to Phoebe as a suicide loss survivor, and she is determined to meet her goal during this unusual year.
Shirley Hu
I am incredibly excited to be running my first ever marathon for Team Samaritans! I have been a volunteer since 2018, but suicide prevention is an issue that has been near and dear to my heart since my middle school years. Now, I’m a rising junior at Georgetown University studying Business and Global Affairs. I’m very new to this since I started running over quarantine, so I’m going to need all the help I can get—I hope to see as many of you as possible on the sidelines come October!
Leslie Dolinar
I am a 26-year-old California native who recently moved to Boston for graduate school. I am currently attending William James college to be a Clinical Mental Health Counselor and hope to work as a domestic violence counselor with women suffering from PTSD and other forms of mental illness upon graduation. From a young age, I have had a huge heart for working with disenfranchised populations, specifically youth in foster care. For the past 7 years, I have dedicated a huge amount of my time towards working both internationally in orphanages in Romania, and locally at homeless shelters. My experience has led me to encounter countless youth and homeless individuals who suffer from mental illness and often experience suicidal ideation. Samaritans has proven to be a great resource for those whom I have worked with, and I am running in the 2021 Boston Marathon as an advocate for providing lifesaving suicide prevention interventions for those in need of services.
Dan Milner
I am excited to be running the Boston Marathon for Team Samaritans! A Massachusetts native, and currently living in Boston I have always dreamed of running the Boston Marathon. I have been a part of Samaritans for over two years, and I hope to spread the word about the incredible work that the organization does. It is an incredible honor to be able to run for such a great cause and organization! When I am not training I work as a Management Consultant for Deloitte. In my free time, I enjoy exercising, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Jeff Cook
Having grown up in the Boston area, I have fond memories of watching the Boston Marathon during Bill Rogers’s reign. In middle and high school, I had the pleasure of running cross country and track and found my passion for the sport. I ran my first marathon in the Berkshires at the age of 18 and since then completed 10 marathons. I recently had the opportunity to run with my company’s sponsored team in New York City on another fundraiser team. This opened my eyes to the greater opportunity to raise funds to help different organizations. Samaritans holds a special place in my family’s heart and this gives me an opportunity to give back while enjoying the sport I love. I am appreciative of this opportunity to participate and looking forward to running the Boston Marathon in October.
Douglas Murphy
I am excited to be part of Samaritans Boston Marathon team again this year. I’ll be training and running the Boston Marathon in October to help raise the critical money needed for Samaritans to continue their great work. I hope we’ll have the opportunity to run the famous marathon route this year.
As many of you know my wife’s mother, Katherine Mongeau Kelly, died from suicide 34 years ago. Our family has supported Samaritans for many years, and we have seen the significant impact the organization has had on so many people in need of mental health support. The challenging times of the last year have demonstrated how many people rely on organizations like Samaritans. Thank you for your support!
