My Story

I lost my older brother Nathaniel to suicide on April 15th, 2011. Those who knew Nathaniel can attest to his incredible courage as he battled severe Body Dysmorphic Disorder for 13 years. An inspirational teacher, student, brother, son, and friend, he was also a brilliant runner. The summer after he died, I chose to follow in his footsteps and run through my grief. Unexpectedly, I developed a strong love for running, and over the past 3 years it has become one of the most positive aspects of my life. Typically, I begin my morning with a five mile run though the convoluted streets of Boston or Cambridge-Somerville, and it is easily the highlight of my day. On the weekends, I take the time to enjoy longer runs. I like to think of running as Nathaniel's parting gift to me, and I have indulged to the fullest.

Last year, I was given the honor to run my first marathon, the 2014 Boston Marathon, on behalf of Samaritans, Inc. I blogged weekly throughout the training process, as my teammates and I increased our distance through an unusually cold and snowy Boston winter. It was a highly challenging and uplifting experience, filled with tendinitis strife, single-digit temperatures, teammate bonding, and mostly just a lot of fun and a sense of accomplishment. I surpassed my original $10,000 fundraising goal thanks to the generosity of family, friends, and coworkers. I did also manage to break my left big toe two weeks before the race, and never actually got to run it. It was a sizable emotional setback, and I spent most of the spring and summer resting and serial-dating Somerville's finest lads while waiting for my stubbornly slow bones to heal. It's a little crooked and may never fully be able to curl again, but my most hated little joint can do its job again. Despite finding my running fitness a little on the weak side after a particularly restful summer, I have decided I am ready to try again, and thankfully Samaritans will have me once more.

  From now until April 20th, 2015, I will be training daily and organizing fundraising events as I prepare to go the distance for suicide prevention! My fundraising page can be found at <http://www.crowdrise.com/Samaritans2014BostonMarathon/fundraiser/carrieasselin>.