Lasers go the extra mile for a cause

Meg Flaherty poses after her first Boston Marathon in 2024. Photo courtesy of Meg Flaherty

As the 30,000 Boston Marathon runners reached mile 17, the cheers from Woodland Road will grow even louder for a few athletes in particular. The marathon is a special day for everyone in the Lasell community, but especially for these four alumni and faculty runners.

Meg Flaherty, senior assistant of undergraduate admissions at Lasell, is no stranger to the race course. Growing up, she watched her dad run the Boston Marathon countless times and made her own race debut alongside her sister last year. Flaherty is excited to return to the course this year and is especially looking forward to passing Lasell and seeing the students she works with.

“There is nothing better than hearing and seeing them before arguably the hardest part of the race. Last year, there were signs for me that literally made me cry! Lasell students are the best,” Flaherty said.

Flaherty will run for the same cause she represented last year: the Boston Marathon Team for D.J. Simmonds ’08 Memorial Scholarship Fund. Simmonds was a Lasell alum and Watertown police officer who was involved in a shootout with the two suspects behind the Boston Marathon bombing. Simmonds was injured during the incident but recovered and returned to the force. Sadly, a year later, he died suddenly due to injury complications.

Also supporting this cause is alum Jonathan Klippert ’12, who will run the Boston Marathon for the second time this year. “D.J.’s story is also the main driving force [of motivation],” Klippert said about Simmonds. “What he stood for and what he did in his life took unreal amounts of courage and this is the best way to honor such a great man.”

Klippert has been training since late December and credits his alma mater, alongside Simmonds, as his motivation to compete in this race.

“Lasell inspired me to run the marathon. Given it’s the best day in Boston and some of the best memories while attending Lasell, I always wanted to do it,” Klippert said. “A marathon is a special event and a unique way to push yourself to amazing new limits.”

Fellow alum and Double Laser, Ashley Doak ’12 ’20, is running the Boston Marathon for the first time this year.

“I [ran] three half marathons several years ago, but this is my first full marathon! I was actually inspired to run this year’s Boston Marathon from being a spectator last year at Lasell,” Doak said. “I have been a spectator at Lasell since I started in 2008! Every year I would think, maybe someday. I had my son in August of 2022 and since having him I have been on a fitness journey, using running and fitness as a way to have me time and to build my strength back postpartum. I was feeling the strongest, physically, that I had in years, so I decided it was my time to live a decade plus, dream of running the Boston Marathon.”

Ronni Komarow at the finish line of the 2024 Boston Marathon. Photo courtesy of Ronni Komarow

Lasell graphic design professor Ronni Komarow will compete in the race for the third time this year. Komarow, a member of the Greater Boston YMCA Team, is most looking forward to seeing her students at mile 17.

“The best part for me–and I say this sincerely–is when people come out to cheer me on. It makes all the difference. It means the world to me when my students are out there, my neighbors are out there, friends and family are out there,” Komarow said.

“Aside from that, it’s the joy of making it through that journey of training–training is very much a journey–and knowing that I could do it.”

The main concern from the athletes is the weather, as each runner explained that the unpredictability of New England could serve as a hindrance if cold temperatures or rain were present.

Despite the unknown factors of the day, the runners won’t let uncertainty bring them down. Their confidence in themselves and their training shine through and will carry them to the finish line.

Komarow shared a piece of guidance that has helped her stay positive through out her running journey. Luckily for the Lasers finishing up their own marathon of the school year, her wise words apply to her students, too.

“One of the many signs that was held up for us marathon runners has stuck with me over the years,” Komarow said. “It said, ‘You can do hard things!’ For everyone out there who is wrapping up this semester with so many projects, tests, maybe being on a sports team, leading a club, remember–you can do hard things.”