Walpole's Lisa Raeke Runs Boston Marathon For Goals For Greyson

WALPOLE, MA - This year's Boston Marathon is intensely personal for Walpole resident Lisa Raeke. Her quest is to continue to raise money for and awareness about her friend's son, Greyson Beauregard, who was paralyzed from the waist down in an accident last fall two weeks after his 13th birthday.

Raeke created a Goals For Greyson group and Facebook page last year as well as a GoFundMe page that to date has raised more than $140,000 for his ongoing medical needs. The Norwood native originally met Greyson's mother, Deborah, in elementary school and sustained a nearly lifelong friendship. She moved to Walpole as a teen, graduated from Walpole High School, and returned when she and her husband purchased a home here in 2000.

To read more about Goals for Greyson, click to this previous article on Wicked Local.

"She's just been a real staple in my life," Raeke said. "As it turns out, we both started our families around the same time. Three of our combined five children are in the high school right now. It's kind of a really cool experience having grown up with her and now watching the next generation of us grow up together, too."

When the accident occurred, she knew Greyson would be facing a lifetime of challenges that would require continued financial support.

When people reached out to her, she and other friends of the Beauregards got together to raise money in a way that was respectful of the family. Some fundraising campaigns included a Goals for Greyson sticker campaign, holiday trees made of wooden pallets, and an upcoming fishing derby.

"I think we're so committed to this because we see the day-to-day issues that Greyson and his family are dealing with," she said. "Having that insight really compels us to make the road ahead as easy as possible for them."

Greyson has made significant strides in his recovery over the past year, according to Raeke. Athletic and adventurous before the tragedy, he is now looking into adaptive sports like lacrosse and basketball while pursuing physical therapy. He is also reaching out to others with spinal cord injuries to share experiences.

"The term grit always comes to mind when I think of Greyson," Raeke said. "An accident like this that is so physically limiting, especially at this age when you're physically developing, could have had a much worse impact than it would have had on any other person. But Greyson has taken on this challenge and turned it into his own.

"We as adults can learn a lot from him and the way he has adapted to the challenges that he now faces," she added. "To see how far along he has come is truly amazing. His spirit has definitely not been broken."

One thing that has aided Greyson in his recovery is a functional electrical stimulation bike. Raeke decided to devote the money raised through her race participation toward the purchase for an FES bike for Greyson to use at home. This type of bike can cost between $15,000 and $30,000.

For more information on FES bikes, check out this link.

"This is helpful for a lot of spinal cord injury patients in preventing and/or managing a lot of the secondary health issues that can come with a spinal cord injury," she said. "It is a simulated pedaling motion that sends impulses that are intended to help keep neural pathways connected between his legs and his brain. It also boosts heart and lung function, muscle mass and bone density."

A self-described "late bloomer" with running, Raeke took up the sport in her mid-30s.

"I was feeling that I needed to get out and do something to physically get into better shape," she explained. "Running was just the easiest go-to, because all you have to do is put on a pair of shoes and go outside."

She has participated in several races on behalf of the Martin Richard Foundation, created in memory of the 8-year-old boy killed in the Marathon bombing. The foundation provides adaptable equipment and promotes inclusive sports.

Raeke is no stranger to participating in races for charities. She ran her first Boston Marathon in 2015 for the Make a Wish Foundation. The next year she ran the Providence Marathon and qualified for the Boston Marathon in 2017. She has competed in the Boston Marathon three times, as well as marathons in New York City and Chicago.

"I find it so much more rewarding because you are running for something greater than yourself," she said.

Rather than run the traditional Boston Marathon route, Raeke decided to create her own course through Walpole in an attempt to engage with people who have been supportive of Goals for Greyson and to raise awareness. The map can be found here.

"We really want to encourage the community to participate in any way that they can," she said. "If you would like to walk or jog a bit of the way for me, that's great. To me, this is not about a race. It's about a community effort."

Unlike the traditional marathon, beginning at mile 13, she said the remainder of her trek will be completed wearing a 20-pound weighted vest. This weight is symbolic of the burden Greyson now carries with him.

"This is going to be an emotional day," she said as she held back tears.