2022 Boston Marathon: Marblehead Native Running For Joslin Center

MARBLEHEAD, MA —A Marblehead native is returning home from half a world away to run the Boston Marathon and raise money for the Joslin Diabetes Center.

David Welch, who grew up in Marblehead and now lives and works in Singapore as a global finance portfolio manager, will be part of Team Joslin working for a cure for diabetes in honor of his 7-year-old son, Austin, who was also diagnosed with the disease.

"Boston is a special race. Growing up there, going to school there, it's always cool to join forces with Joslin," he said. "I'm always looking forward to coming back and doing it again. Austin gives me extra motivation for running for a good cause."

Welch was 6 years old when he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1984. He learned to manage his diabetes through the Joslin Diabetes Center and has done so successfully for the past 38 years while maintaining an athletic lifestyle.

Despite diabetes, Welch grew up playing sports before attending Boston University. He moved to San Francisco where he attempted to make the Olympics as a member of the U.S. badminton team. He resumed his athletic pursuits about 10 years later and has since competed in an Iron Man Triathlon, multiple half Iron Man Triathlons and ran the Boston Marathon in 2012 and 2014.

For the last five years, he has been on a closed-loop system to manage his diabetes.

Austin Welch is currently on a continuous glucose monitor.

Go here for more information or to support David and Team Joslin.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)