Saucony 26 Strong | Team 15 – Jennifer Roderick & Gael Henville
Cadet: Jennifer Roderick
Age: 37 | City: Middleborough, Mass.
Jennifer has been running for several years now, having completed half marathons, 5Ks and 10Ks, many to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. Now she’s ready to conquer the marathon to further the cause. “After seeing firsthand my fathers 8-year struggle with Alzheimer’s, I have a new strong desire to achieve this goal,” she says. “Watching my father have the strength to achieve life’s everyday daily tasks has allowed me to find a new strength within myself. After my fathers passing I have been running with a new passion—if he could be so strong to fight to the end of this devastating illness, how can I not have the strength to finish the race?”
Vet: Gael Henville
Age: 43 | City: Boston, Mass.
In 2012 it took Gael 5:17 hours to finish the Boston Marathon in blistering heat. “I am still so very much in awe that this ordinary body was able to perform such an extraordinary feat against all odds,” she says. “This was by far the best race in my 28 years of running; there were many great lessons learned about myself during this journey that has truly made me a better and stronger athlete.”
Gael grew up in the Caribbean and ran mostly bare feet on a dirt track with lanes marked in chalk and a string held by the coach to signal the finish. “Those were the best times ever as it was all about running,” she says. “My father got me started on this journey. I did not know it at the time, but this crazy idea of his about running with the boys started my love affair with running.”