Hanna Atwood at the 13.1 mile mark with three of her Fall 2017 students (Zander Gomez, Annabelle Dewing, and Cece Pilgrim).
This year the Boston Marathon was the first annual and longest Monster Run-Swim in Island School history. In a torrential downpour, almost 30,000 runners attempted to run the iconic 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to the center of Boston. Three of those well-trained run-swimmers were Island School staff and alumni. Hanna Atwood (current Land and Environmental Art Teacher), Matthew McGaffigan (Fall ‘16), and Neila Connaughton (Fall ‘16) all completed the Boston Marathon and raised funds for charity while doing it. Hanna raced for the Nobles Marathon Fund and raised money for scholarships for her alma mater, Noble and Greenough School. Both Matthew and Neila raced for the Brigham and Women’s Stepping Strong Center.
Neila Connaughton (F’16) and Matthew McGaffigan (F’ 16) crossing the finishing line.
When we asked Hanna how The Island School impacted her marathon this was her answer: “Race day was filled with anticipation, excitement, nerves, and lots and lots of rain. My favorite part of the race was getting to mile 13 (halfway) and seeing three of my FA17 students waiting for me in the pouring rain. I gave them a giant hug; their collective energy helped propel me forward over the next 13 miles. So much of The Island School experience is about persevering through adversity and due to the incredibly adverse weather conditions, I was up against a lot more than “just” running a marathon. I ran knowing that I had an incredible support system waiting for me to return back to Eleuthera and they gave me the courage to dominate.”
Congratulations to Hanna, Matthew and Neila. We are so proud of you for completing the longest Monster Run-Swim on record! Our fingers are crossed it will just be a marathon for other Island Schoolers next year.