Dr. Brian Wishart, a Marblehead father-of-three and chief of the Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine division at Spaulding Rehab, is running the Boston Marathon next month.
“We have a 12-bed inpatient pediatric rehab unit in Charlestown and serve children from all over New England, as well as a number of international patients,” Wishart told the Current. “We primarily care for children with disabilities whether that is from a birth injury, genetic disease or traumatic event and care for them from birth or injury through young adulthood. It’s a privilege to work there and an honor to raise money for this cause.”
He wrote on his fundraising page: “Running the Boston Marathon is another way to challenge myself and reflect the same dedication I bring to my patients,” Wishart says on his fundraising page. “Just as I encourage children to get back to doing the activities they love, running reminds me of the power of perseverance and goal-setting.”
Wishart emphasized the importance of teamwork in pediatric care.
“At Spaulding Rehabilitation, every staff member — from physicians, therapists and nurses to case managers, social workers and front-line care assistants — is incredible,” he says. “We work every day in inpatient care, clinics, therapy gyms and research to bring the best outcomes to our patients.”
Wishart moved to Marblehead in 2019 with his family, which will be cheering him on at the finish line.
“Spaulding puts on a party during and after the race at the Mandarin (hotel) which is right at the finish line. We attended a few years ago when my cousin’s wife ran the marathon and it was a wonderful way to watch the race,” he said.
This will be Wishart’s first marathon and he’s been training with a team from Spaulding.
“I have been doing my best to follow the intermediate training plan though the snow, work, ski season and my kids have certainly made it a challenge. I run three-to-four times a week. The Spaulding team has team runs which I did my first long, 10-mile, run with.”
He hopes to finish in under four hours.
You can learn more about Wishart and his run at https://loom.ly/7k9aqKc.
Last year, 22 Marblehead residents laced up for the Boston Marathon. If you’re running, let the Current know at info@marbleheadnews.org.
