PEABODY — One plans on listening to a podcast, another plans on having McDonalds beforehand, and the other gave in to some friendly peer pressure.
That said, meet the Peabody siblings of Molly, Katie, and Michael Tansey – a trio ready to take on the Boston Marathon next month.
Their father, Mike, was in a car accident in 2010 and injured his spinal cord, resulting in him being confined to a wheelchair as a quadriplegic.
He was taken into Spaulding Rehab in Boston, where he was given tremendous support in finding his “new normal.”
“From his accident to when he came out of Spaulding, it was a huge difference,” Molly said. “Not just physical therapy, but occupational therapy.”
Due to him not being at the house during that time, Spaulding made sure Mike’s rehab included the kids as much as possible when they came to visit.
“Spaulding did a great job with us,” Michael said. “They kept us involved.”
In November of 2020, the three ran a half-marathon. From there, Michael came up with the idea of running the most iconic marathon of them all.
“Once he put the bug in our ears, me and Katie kind of went along with it,” Molly said.
Qualifying times were “pretty extreme” according to Michael, and the siblings got to talking with Spaulding.
“They asked if we’d be able to raise $30,000,” Molly said. “We figured out a gameplan and were like, ‘we can do this.’”
They’re certainly on their way. The total currently sits at $24,861 (84 percent of their goal).
As for the race itself, and when asked about the balance between nerves and excitement, Molly said there’s “definitely a little bit of both.” But once it’s game day, the trio is confident those nerves will disappear.
“Once we start going, it’s just going to be excitement,” Michael said.
All that said, what goes into training? Well, most recently, they each completed an 18-mile run this past weekend – their longest yet.
However, let’s not forget about all of the winter work that paved the way.
“Training for a New England marathon in the winter is not ideal. It’s a lot of cold runs,” Michael said. “Oftentimes, it’s too cold and you just find yourself running miles on a treadmill.”
A laughing Katie said she’s the “least athletic” of the bunch, adding training has been tough.
“I started running around August or September,” Katie said. “I wanted to get some miles under my belt.”
As for the all-important meal the day of, Katie is leaning towards a bagel while Molly might have some toast with peanut butter. Michael, well, he wants something a little different.
“I’m good for a wake-up wrap or a McGriddle before,” Michael said. “Something quick and cheap.”
Then there is, frankly, how they plan on passing the time. Katie is a music-girl, while Molly has yet to decide if she’s going to listen to music or a podcast. That said, their differing tastes of music don’t allow for a joint-playlist.
“Definitely different,” Katie said.
What’s not different, however, is what they’re running for. On the day of the race, the plan is to have Mike there cheering them on.
“Spaulding has a room they rent and it has a view, I believe, of the finish line,” Molly said. “He wants to be there, and he’s the reasoning we’re running for the most part.”
When asked if this will be a one-year occurrence, all three of them laughed.
“As of right now, I’m saying it’s a one-year thing,” Katie said.
However, the fact that it’s a race out of Boston makes all the difference for the Tanseys.
“That’s a big part of it,” Katie said. “That’s where we’re from, and we’re proud of it.”
To raise funds for Team Tansey by giving to Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, please visit: https://www.givengain.com/d/ap/53156#amount
