In the spring of 2023, my friend Josh Balara, a fellow member of the Dartmouth football class of 2024 and GDX fraternity brother, passed away after battling cancer. Later that year, my Dartmouth football head coach, Buddy Teevens, passed away from injuries sustained in an accident earlier in the year. For all the members of the Dartmouth football community, these losses were very difficult to handle. We lost a loyal, kind, gentle, and loving friend in Josh, and an incredibly positive, compassionate, loyal, tough coach, leader, and innovator in Coach Teevens.

Throughout the 2023 football season, I watched as my Dartmouth football teammates and friends honored both Josh and Coach T on the field every weekend, eventually winning a share of the Ivy League Championship in their memory. However, due to injuries and multiple surgeries, I was unable to play football during my senior year and be part of this on-field celebration of Coach T and Josh.

Since recovering from my surgeries, I have been thinking of ways to honor and celebrate the memory of both Coach T and Josh. During Coach T's Celebration of Life in Hanover this May, I found out that he once ran the NYC Marathon. After learning this, I decided that running the marathon would be my way of celebrating the memory of Josh and Coach T and recognizing the extremely positive impacts they had on my life while I was fortunate enough to know them.

In doing so, I chose to support Champions for CHAM, a charity dedicated to the Children's Hospital at Montefiore in NYC. This organization provides essential resources and services to improve the lives of young patients, mirroring the compassionate and positive spirit that both Josh and Coach Teevens embodied. By running the marathon for this charity, I aim to honor their memory by contributing to a cause that ensures every child receives the best possible care and a brighter future.

Please consider donating to help me achieve this goal and celebrate the lives of Coach T and Josh! All of the money donated will go directly to Champions for CHAM.