Marathoner runs for nonprofit helping Newtonites thrive as they age

By James F. Smith

NEWTON -- Joe McCusker ran 40 marathon races in all, 18 of them in Boston, until a sudden heart ailment sidelined him 14 years ago at the age of 68. Open heart surgery followed, and then a series of leg injuries kept him mostly housebound. He worried whether he could even remain in his house in Newtonville.

Then Joe heard about Newton at Home, a volunteer-driven nonprofit that helps older residents thrive at home as they age. For the past seven years, Joe has relied on Newton at Home volunteers, especially Mike Victor and his wife Serene, for steady support.

“He’s my angel – he and his wife are my two angels,” Joe, who is now 82, says of Mike and Serene. She and Mike help Joe down his home’s steep front steps to get to the car and drive him to medical appointments. They help with shopping and other chores. As Joe recovers now from another bout of Achilles heel trouble, Mike and Serene are regular visitors to the house where Joe has lived for 49 years. “It’s actually fabulous. I’m deeply indebted, believe me, I am,” Joe says.

Now another young marathoner is stepping up to run for Newton at Home members like Joe. While he may not match Joe’s best time of 2 hours, 33 minutes for the 26-mile Boston race, Christian Baglini is bringing his own spirit of service to this marathon mission.

It will be Christian’s second Boston Marathon (his time last year was 3:25), and his first marathon wearing the bib of a non-profit sponsor. Christian is an oncology nurse practitioner at Massachusetts General Hospital where he works with cancer patients, and last year he ran the race with the Mass General crew.

As a healthcare professional, Christian was excited to be paired with Newton at Home to help raise funds for the organization and raise awareness of its services for members.

“It’s such an awesome cause, something that I really have come to believe in,” he says. “I think the more you can help adults stay at home, I think that’s going to be a huge difference maker for a lot of families, and lead to a lot more quality of life.”

For Newton at Home members like Joe McCusker, the value of belonging is much greater than help with rides and chores. Joe recalls phone conversations with Newton at Home staff and volunteers. They provide social connections with members who otherwise might feel isolated.

Mike Victor, a retired software engineer, has volunteered with Newton at Home for a decade, helping with back office needs as well as providing rides and other support to members, including one who was 101 years old. “You have some interesting conversations on those rides,” Mike says with a smile.

Christian understands this value. “I think social interaction is a component of who we are as humans and it’s important to maintain that. I don’t think this population would be able to thrive without the assistance they’re getting.”

In his work as an oncology nurse practitioner, Christian says “it’s so much about the personal interaction with patients and connecting with them and getting to know who they are, not just to care for their health.” It can be hard to go through the suffering with patients, “but you can also provide reassurance in those scary times. That’s the most rewarding thing in doing what I do.”

Christian played baseball at Stonehill College and got into running after he graduated “as a way to stay more sustainably healthy.” Christian, 30, has an infant daughter, and fits in his seven-day-a-week marathon training with his parenting; he’ll need to see how many more marathons lie ahead. “But I’m a proud charity runner, knowing you’re helping the greater good. The days when I’m running, if it’s an especially hard day or a cold day, it gives you that little extra push to do it and to think, okay, why am I doing this? It just gives you that why.”

Joe McCusker has that same drive. He retired from a career at a Boston high school, teaching history and science, and speaks easily about Plato and Aristotle. He earned three degrees from Boston University and has a fantastic recall of childhood friends in Brookline and marathon running buddies over the years as a member of Greater Boston Track. He ran his first Boston Marathon in 1974 at the age of 33. He could run crisp five-minute miles.

Joe even has some marathon advice for Christian as he picks up the mantle: when everyone veers to the left around a corner, stay right, clear of the crowd. And if it’s a hot day, run on the double yellow line because it doesn’t absorb as much heat. “The natural tendency of the herd is to stay on the inside. But if you stay to the right, it’s paradise.”

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James F. Smith is on the board of Newton at Home. For more information call 617-795-2560 or email [email protected]