Jeff Gilbert
Dorchester, MA
My Why
Having been born and raised in Massachusetts, the Boston Marathon has always existed as something I wanted to do “someday”… That day came sooner than expected when my employer, Point32Health, selected my name for this year’s race and asked me to select a charity of my choice for fundraising.
I was immediately drawn to Team Herren Project because of their mission of providing free resources and support for the treatment, recovery, and prevention of substance use disorder. Like many others, I was first introduced to the organization when Chris Herren himself gave a talk at my school. I remember finding the speech deeply moving, but I didn’t expect that I’d have to tackle any of my own challenges related to substance use disorder – I thought I had it all “figured out.”
My decision to get sober began on September 23, 2021, a feat that has only been possible with the supportive community – family, friends, mentors, coworkers, etc. – that I’ve built over the past three years. I consider it the greatest gift I’ve ever been given, and through this fundraising effort, I hope to fund resources and/or assistance that will extend that gift to someone else.
