Gary was born and raised in Fullerton, California but has called Hopkinton, Massachusetts his home for the past 17 years with his wife, Jenn, 3 daughters (Lexy, Cami, and Poppy) and an occasional exchange student. He is an avid volunteer in his community, currently serving as the chair of the Hopkinton Planning Board, and can typically be found working in the yard, riding his bicycle, and now running. He stands at an impressive 6’8’’ tall, which will make him easy to spot on Marathon Monday! Living one mile from the start of the Boston Marathon brings great inspiration every April, and after losing over 80 pounds, Gary decided it was finally his turn to be part of the inspiration.
Gary was affected by cancer at the age of 9 when his mother was diagnosed with a rare form of Lymphoma (she is alive and well today) and has seen first-hand the support that One Summit provides through a close friend whose family has participated in the program. It was a no brainer to apply as a runner for such an incredible organization.
“Every time I lace up my running shoes, I think of my friend and the 15,000+ kids diagnosed with cancer each year. Rain or shine, in the darkest hours or through fatigue, I keep running for them. They are my unwavering inspiration.”
Jordan is originally from Newton, MA and is ecstatic to participate in an event that she has cheered on for so many years growing up. She recently graduated from the University of Michigan and now lives in New York City. Jordan works for PlatformQ Health, a digital education platform focused on helping clinicians and patients make informed healthcare decisions. Jordan loves outdoor activities such as skiing and hiking and began running to pursue a new physical challenge.
“Running the Boston Marathon is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so thankful to have this experience. I chose to partner with One Summit because I am inspired by their mission and believe that their efforts will make a difference. I have loved getting to know my patient partner, Walter, who has taught me how impactful the mentorship from Navy SEALs can be for a child with cancer and their family. I am running for Walter and all of the brave pediatric cancer patients whose resilience will carry me 26.2!"
Growing up in the small town of Roanoke, Virginia, Madison kept busy with many sports and went on to play soccer at Clemson University while getting her degree in Biological Sciences. She got her second degree in Nursing at Jefferson College of Health Sciences. After starting her career in Virginia (in the Intensive Care at the same hospital that she was born!), Madison continued her career journey as a travel nurse, which brought her to San Diego, California. Her brother, who also lives in San Diego, introduced her to his teammate, whom she shortly after married. Marrying him and having two kids together are her biggest accomplishments. She and her husband own a business, rental properties, and are building a homeschool on their property to raise and educate their two boys, Jerry (3) and Kav (22 months). Madison enjoys all things outside, being active, traveling, creating, home renovation, design, and cooking.
“I am running to support little warrior, James, and his family. This precious soul was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma in 2020, along with a rare condition called Ring 14. He and his family endure such an emotional, ugly, challenging and unfair battle. I hope to bring awareness and support to them, and other families with similar outlooks.”
O’Keefe was born in Salem, MA, grew up on the North Shore of MA, and attended Boston College, graduating in 1999. He is married to Alexa O’Keefe, an attorney at Goulston & Storrs in Boston. He has two amazing children, Abby, 18 and Jack, 15. He is the CEO of HWPO Training based in Burlington, VT and founded with Mat Fraser, 5 times CrossFit Games Champion (2016-2020). HWPO is a digital fitness platform providing training routines for athletes from competing at the CrossFit Games to just starting out their fitness journey.
“I am proud to be running Boston for One Summit! I first met Adam La Reau back in 2014 as he was transitioning out of the military and founding O2X and One Summit. I was immediately interested in helping anyway I/we could to support the One Summit mission of building resilience and facilitating growth in pediatric cancer patients and their siblings through experiential learning, mentorship, community engagement and storytelling U.S. Navy SEALs. My why and motivation for my run is the kids and SEALs. If suffering through 26 miles helps improve these kids and SEALs lives in some small way, I would do it every day the rest of my life. I can’t think of a more worthy reason to run Boston.”
Sammy is the voice, vision and leader in culture at HWPO Training. She’s responsible for bringing the brand’s core values (SHOW UP. WORK HARD. MAKE YOURSELF PROUD.) to the forefront of everything they do and how they are represented in marketing and media. Before guiding the brand at HWPO, she was the third wheel to Mat Fraser and Matt O'Keefe on the wild ride of collecting CrossFit Championships while exploring a career in food blogging. She is a cookbook author and has run a successful food blog and Instagram famed for the food she created for 5x CrossFit Games Champion, Mat Fraser called Feeding the Frasers. Sammy is passionate about food photography and loves hosting big dinner parties and weekly burger nights at their home.
“My WHY for running for One Summit in the Boston Marathon is to bring greater awareness to the amazing work the organization is doing for families in need. The organization’s ability to bring support to both the families of pediatric cancer patients and the Navy SEALs is an incredible example of community. Community is important especially in a time of need, not to mention the resiliency of these special individuals. It’s a small contribution to the great work already being done by One Summit and whether it be fundraising dollars to support or connecting someone in need of the services for their own family, I am excited to share the mission.”
If you are out and about on race day, stop by and visit our small but mighty cheering station. We will be in place after 10:00 am at the Newton Fire Department Station 2, 1750 Commonwealth Avenue, Auburndale, MA 02466 (Right near the Mile 17 marker and shortly before Heartbreak Hill). All spectators are welcome to join us and can meet us on the Washington Street side of the station.
