Midwestern STEM Teachers To Run Boston Marathon, Hope To Inspire Students
BOSTON (CBS) -- A pair of Midwestern STEM teachers are heading east for the 125th running of the Boston Marathon. Both Patrick Fischer of Pingree Grove, Illinois, and Jackie Henderson of West Liberty, Iowa will be running on the Tata Consultancy Services teachers team this year.
For Patrick, this will finish off his trio of "Big Three American" races. He has run Chicago twice, New York in 2018, and now Boston.
Each year, TCS chooses a teacher from each state to be on its Boston Marathon team.
Jackie wants to compete in all six world major marathons. She's completed London, Berlin, New York, and Chicago. Now, she will be in Boston with just Tokyo remaining.
Jackie has done each one with her son, Elliot. She said it has deepened their relationship and they have raised a lot of money for charity.
"I keep telling him, Elliot, that's what I want you to take away from this," Jackie said. "We can help others along the way."
Both Jackie and Patrick use running in the classroom to help inspire their students and teach them life lessons.
"I want people to move," Jackie said. "I want people to help each other along the way. And I want people to dream big. And if we can encompass all of those ideas, imagine what all of us can do together to make this world a better place."
"With science and math, some of them get frustrated really quickly," Patrick told WBZ. "And they are willing to give up and I always just tell them, 'don't close a door for yourself.'"
And that next door will be opening for Jackie and Patrick when they take to the starting line in Hopkinton and head out on their next 26.2-mile journey.
"I'm representing teachers," Jackie said, smiling. "And I'm representing moms in the Boston Marathon and those two pieces, that's what I stand for."
Patrick got emotional when talking about the race.
"Getting to the finish line and crossing after all those years, I'm getting choked up thinking about it. It's the chance of a lifetime to do and I'm just going to enjoy every second of it that I can.