Dedham Man Running Boston Marathon to Help Children

DEDHAM, MA — If you found a way to go back in time and tell Dedham resident Dan O'Neil that he'll be at the start line in Hopkinton for his second Boston Marathon, he'd think you were crazy that you said he ran it even once!

Yet with days to go, O'Neil has put in the miles, fought through the injuries, and is approaching another Boston Marathon. This year, he will be running for the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation Marathon Team on behalf of the Perkins School for the Blind.

O'Neil's journey to the race began in October 2015 when he signed up for the BAA Half-Marathon and started working with a trainer in Westwood. After five weeks of training, O'Neil got across the finish line but was already thinking of a new challenge.

(My trainer) got me to the finish line in five weeks and at 300 pound. I thought if I can get halfway there, why not go all the way?" O'Neil said.

So he started a new training regimen and along the way he went from 290 pounds to 221, allowing him to improve his training leading up to his first marathon last year.

For the second year in a row, O'Neil will run to raise money for the Perkins School for the Blind's a school which his nephew attends. Last year, he was a member of the school's marathon team but due to the team's size, O'Neil was unable to get a bib due to demand. His fundraising, however, will still go towards the school because that is one of the Shamrock Foundation's partners.

"I can still technically run for Perkins and help a lot of other kids along the way. That's perfect because fundraising for kids can never go wrong, they’re out future, O'Neil said.

O'Neil and thousands of other runners will make the trek from Hopkinton to Boston this Monday. To help O'Neil, you can make a donation on his CrowdRise page.

Image: Courtesy photo