Renewed Strength and Purpose, One Step at a Time

A throng of noisy spectators were assembled at the entrance to Central Park, imploring runners to stay strong for the final two-mile stretch of the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon. Mauricio Blandino spotted his own family members among them as he shuffled past, but he was almost too tired to acknowledge them.

“By this time I had shortened my stride, my cadence had become more rapid, I’m cramping, hurting like hell,” Blandino recalled. “It felt like I was running in place, not covering any distance at all. I saw my brothers and sister there, but I could barely look up. I don’t even remember if I smiled.”

By the time Mauricio reached Columbus Circle, all thoughts of a four-hour finish had evaporated. Coach Anthony Bonamassa, Mauricio’s trainer and guide runner from Achilles International, urged him to sprint the final two-tenths of a mile, but Mauricio couldn’t make his body move any faster. He crossed the finish line in survival mode, relieved to finally be done but convinced he wouldn’t be happy with the result.

After a brief fight to catch his breath, Mauricio asked Anthony for their time. Anthony hesitated.

“3:40,” he said.

“Cut the shit! What was our time?” An incredulous Mauricio thought he heard wrong.

But he heard right; 3:40:12 was the time, a new personal record for Mauricio Blandino. He was 62 years old.

Coach Anthony wasn’t surprised by the result. He had seen Mauricio’s relentless dedication over and over in practice.

“I drew up a pretty extensive plan to train him on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. I kept data and metrics of everything we were doing to show him the progress he was making,” Anthony said. “He was absolutely committed to the entire thing and was enthusiastic about it, so he was the perfect student in that regard.”

The 26.2mile distance was nothing new to Mauricio; he had completed multiple marathons by 2019. At the time of this writing, his marathon count has risen to 23. But 3:40:12 still stands as his all-time PR, a well-deserved reward for uncommon endurance, a transcendent kind of perseverance that doesn’t simply materialize after a 90-day training plan.

June 25, 2011 was a day like many others. Mauricio stopped in at his childhood home in Queens to visit his elderly mother and help take care of whatever tasks needed to be done around the house. One moment he was headed up the stairs with a load of laundry. The next moment he was tumbling backward, hitting his head violently on the way down.

While the fall was jarring, Mauricio didn’t think too much of it. Dismissing it as nothing more than a painfully unfortunate accident, he went about his normal routine. After a few days, however, some unsettling symptoms began to manifest.

Persistent headaches, trouble with balance and coordination, and difficulty seeing prompted him to visit the hospital. It would be a month before he could return home.

His symptoms were caused by a subdural hematoma, a potentially life-threatening buildup of blood and cranial fluid creating pressure on the brain. Mauricio immediately underwent a bilateral craniotomy, a procedure where portions of the skull are removed in order to drain the fluids and relieve the pressure. Then, the skull is reassembled, like an exceedingly delicate medical jigsaw puzzle.

After a successful surgery and lengthy recovery period, Mauricio was finally discharged, thankful to be alive but dreading to confront his new reality.

“I came home with the shunts still intact and my head still bandaged. I avoided looking in the mirror,” Mauricio recalled. “Even afterward, I avoided looking in the mirror. I did not want to see myself. I didn’t want to see the injury.”

Prior to his accident, Mauricio had spent decades in the jewelry business, working at all levels of merchandising, manufacturing and design. Now his life centered around the Brain Injury Rehabilitation program at Mount Sinai. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, neuropsychological appointments, follow-ups with the neurosurgeon—the endless treatments were necessary but exhausting.

“I became an angry person, angry at the universe. I knew I had to keep going but didn’t have the mental energy,” Mauricio admitted. “I was just going through the motions.”

But after a year of this laborious routine, a glimmer of hope and possibility finally appeared. In desperate need of peer support and personal interaction, Mauricio was referred to the Brain Injury Association of New York State. At one of their monthly meetings, athletes and guides from an organization called Achilles International gave a presentation that altered the course of Mauricio’s life forever.

“Two athletes and several staff members from Achilles came and introduced the program. Allan Tyson was one of the athletes. He was talking about all these marathons and Iron Man triathlons he had done. He also had a brain injury, and physical exercise had helped him immensely,” Mauricio remembered. “I was paying close attention to what they said because my doctors had been pushing me to take my physical therapy outdoors.”

A week or two later, he was doing just that. Along with a group of peers from the Brain Injury Association, Mauricio attended his first Achilles workout. He was amazed to realize that even though disability was what brought all these people together, no one seemed alienated or burdened by their challenges.

“I’m witnessing such a variety. There were visually impaired people, amputees, kids with autism, adults with brain injuries,” Mauricio observed. “And everyone is just moving on with their lives, excited about their accomplishments and talking about the next race. They’re being paired with their guides and just having a jolly good time.”

Mauricio hung back initially, somewhat reluctant to draw attention to himself. But soon he was paired up with his own guides, going on slow, painstaking walks along Central Park’s Bridle Path. Eventually, the walks became longer and steadier. He gradually introduced jogging, his pace increasing as he gained strength and confidence. By the end of 2014, Mauricio had represented Achilles NYC in two different 5K charity events.

Allan Tyson, having taken notice of Mauricio’s progress, came up with a half-marathon training plan for him to follow. Mauricio agreed, treating it as merely the next level of his recovery process. Later in 2015, the half-marathon training plan mysteriously grew to full. Mauricio went right on following, elated with his restored energy and body control but still not thinking in terms of competition.

“Allan was patient with me because he had been through a difficult recovery process himself. But he pushed and motivated me as well,” Mauricio remembered. “I listened closely to what Allan was saying. I wanted to learn how I could benefit from exercise the same way he did.” 

Eager to put his training to the test, Mauricio signed up for the Staten Island Half-Marathon that September. Only concerned with covering the distance, he maintained a steady jog for the 13.1 miles, crossing the finish line with a group of his new Achilles friends.

With the NYC Marathon only two months away, those same friends urged Mauricio to put his training to work once again. Ultimately, he couldn’t resist the peer pressure.

“Achilles receives bibs from the New York Road Runners for its athletes, and everyone was doing it, so I said ok,” Mauricio explained. “I wanted to be part of the group now. Whatever happens, happens.”

Teamed up with guides Susan Graham and Kseniia Sukach, Mauricio tackled the speed workouts, hill repeats, and long runs that prepare athletes to withstand the rigors of 26.2 miles. When race day finally came, he approached the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge relaxed but focused, not fixated on a time goal but anticipating an unforgettable experience.

He would not be disappointed. Mauricio crossed the finish line at 4:38:07, a time that exceeded his wildest expectation. But the sense of accomplishment was immeasurable, the end of this race marking the start of a new life journey.

“All the spectators, the immense sound of everyone cheering. It’s like a street festival,” Mauricio fondly recalled. “And crossing that finish line? Wow! Empowerment to the tenth power. It’s like I suddenly had this solid platform to stand on, and I’m still standing on it.”

Mauricio continued his involvement with the Brain Injury Association of New York State, ultimately becoming chairperson of the NYC chapter. He’s spoken to audiences of neurologists and other medical professionals about the need for a more holistic approach to the treatment of TBI, emphasizing the profound impact of physical activity and community connection. His marathon career has taken him to Boston, Chicago, London and Berlin. He’s sat down for countless interviews with professional news outlets and amateur podcasters. His message is always consistent.

“Any situation in life that knocks you down hard, you have to be able to accept helping hands. It’s not weakness. There are stubborn people out there who won’t accept help, and it just stagnates their development.”

Where would Mauricio be without the brain injury association, without the rehab center at Mount Sinai, without Achilles?

“I don’t dwell on that thought because it would not have been a nice direction. I would’ve survived, but I never would have found this pleasure, this sense of accomplishment and empowerment.”

Racing for Daylight with Robert Garr

Torrential rain battered Noah’s ark for 40 days and nights before the sun finally broke through on day 41. After their delivery from Egypt, the Children of Israel trudged through wilderness for 40 years before a new generation of Israelites could enter the Promised Land in year 41. Goliath taunted the Israelite Army for 40 days before a humble shepherd boy named David vanquished him on day 41 with just his sling, a smooth stone, and unflinching faith. And after Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days and nights, he resisted Satan’s temptations and the devil fled on day 41.

So 40 is a number that appears frequently in the Bible, often describing the duration of some prolonged struggle or hardship. But the number 41 is equally significant, representing the moment when endurance is rewarded and faith prevails.

Robert Garr had his own giant to slay in 2019, finally achieving sobriety after a decades-long struggle with alcohol. As Robert navigated the early days of recovery, his father was nearing the end of his own courageous battle, eventually succumbing to cancer in the fall of that year. Amid the dramatic circumstances of 2019, Robert found peace and stability in a certain number that kept popping up.

“I first discovered the significance of 41 through a devotional in the YouVersion Bible app, and I just kept seeing it everywhere – on clocks, street signs, 41 new emails,” Robert recalled. My dad passed away in October, and that number was prevalent in my life. The devotional was recent. Shortly after his passing, I was invited to someone’s house for an AA book study and the address was 41 Clermont, and I just thought ‘Right on. This is good stuff.’ Even though I was grieving, that number helped me through it.”

Robert continued to grow in his faith and recovery as the calendar flipped to 2020. He was starting to feel better physically as well, the result of a cleaner diet and sober lifestyle. An avid runner with numerous half and full marathon finishes under his belt, Robert was about to resume his running career with renewed purpose and strength.

Melissa Sharp and her F.R.O.G. Fitness Group has been putting on races and community outreach events in and around Pulaski County, MO for many years. F.R.O.G. stands for Fully Relying on God, which is how Robert came to participate in their first endurance run back in 2017.

“The town of Devils Elbow had been hit by a huge flood, and so we decided to do a six-hour ultra as a fundraising race for the flood victims of Devils Elbow,” Melissa recalled. “I don’t know how Robert heard about it, but he ended up being there, and we’ve been friends ever since.” Robert covered 22 miles with Melissa’s group that day as a means of preparing for the upcoming GO! St. Louis Marathon. He enjoyed the experience so much that he returned to Pulaski County the following year for the inaugural Racing for Daylight, another ultra hosted by Melissa and F.R.O.G. Fitness. He’s been back at least five times since, including in 2020 when he embarked upon a very specific and meaningful mission. As a way of inspiring the continued sobriety of a friend in recovery, and as a tribute to the triumphant and reassuring message of 41, Robert set out to run 41 miles at Racing for Daylight.

Coinciding with Daylight Savings time every March, Racing for Daylight begins at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday evening and goes until 7:00 Sunday morning, one hour being lost to clocks springing forward. Initially, Racing for Daylight was born out of Melissa’s own need for a long training run, but now it meets the needs of others throughout the running community and beyond.

“I had to do at least an eight-hour night run to get ready for this 100-miler coming up, and I remember telling the Lord that I really didn’t want to do this night run by myself,” Melissa explained. “God said, ‘Melissa, tell all your friends. Make it an outreach’ ” So I presented the idea to our sponsors from other races and they were happy to support it.”

Thanks to the generosity of those community partners, runners enjoy free access to indoor aid station facilities stocked with snacks and drinks. In fact, registration for the event is free, a remarkable value considering similar races are often priced at around $150. Participants are encouraged to make donations to the OneSolePurpose project, an initiative that provides a new pair of shoes to every student enrolled in Pulaski County Title 1 elementary schools.

So after a pre-race prayer and some words of encouragement from fellow runners, Robert’s personal quest for 41 began. He completed lap after lap around the Racing for Daylight course, thoughts of his father, his new friends in recovery, and his revitalized relationship with the Lord propelling him steadily forward. After nearly 14 trips around the three-mile loop, it was 2:00 a.m.

“I showed up that night just to prove that all things are possible with God,” Robert said. “I used that number to guide me and to remind me that, even though this is painful, and even though it is a struggle, I can do it with God’s help. After eight hours and a few minutes, I had hit my 41 miles.”

Robert has returned to participate in Racing for Daylight many times since 2020, including this year, but 41 miles continues to be his personal record for distance. His 2025 effort netted 35 miles, a successful outcome considering how little he trained leading up to the event. He accomplished this through strict adherence to a plan of running for 90 seconds and walking for 30. Other than a few quick stops at his vehicle to grab energy gels or a hoody, he continued moving for seven straight hours.

He attributed this latest ultra performance largely to the elimination of sugar from his diet. toeing the line at 170 pounds, Robert came in 40 pounds lighter than he had been just a year earlier. But at times, it seemed as though he had simply traded one addiction for another, having given up alcohol and all of its negative consequences for the weight gain and inflammation that comes with binging on candy and sugary treats. Burdened by chronic pain at 210 pounds and struggling to recover even from shorter runs, Robert decided to make a drastic change midway through 2024.

“I wanted to quit candy, so I started this sugar fast in May and I would track it and write about it every day, and I did very well through August. I got down to 183 pounds and I was feeling better mentally and physically,” Robert said. “Then, I got involved in a relationship in October and I was no longer alone in the evenings, which kept me from grabbing that bag of M&M’s or candy bar, kept me from going on those nightly visits to the convenience store.”

Another relationship has been a constant throughout Robert’s running career. He crosses paths with Melissa Sharp at pivotal points along their physical and spiritual journeys, once when Melissa was selling Team 413 T-shirts at the GO! St. Louis Marathon Expo. Team 413 is a faith-based running ministry rooted in the message of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Naturally, Robert bought the shirt, a race-day reminder to everyone that, even in the most difficult moments, we are not in it alone.

“I’m proud to wear that shirt every time I put it on. It’s always a conversation piece. It gives people confidence when they read it, and it gets me through the race,” Robert said. “It’s the perfect mantra to get me through 26.2 miles or whatever distance I happen to be doing. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”