Anthony Simonetti, 26, a New Dorp native and current Harvard Business School attendee, will take his place at the start of the Boston Marathon on April 20, and he’ll do so as a ‘hero’.
Simonetti, who graduated from Staten Island Tech HS in 2011 and received his undergraduate degree from Cooper Union, was one of just 10 runners, referred to as “St. Jude Heroes,” chosen to represent St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at the 2020 Boston Marathon.
Though he doesn’t fancy himself a runner, and has little time to train given his rigorous schedule, Simonetti has set a goal of raising $20k for the organization.
He declined to go into detail, but Simonetti, whose sister and late aunt were afflicted by cancer, has seen the effects of the disease firsthand, and ultimately wants to give back.
“For me, to honor my my aunt and give back to people who need it, like my sister did, it’s why I want to run for St. Jude and be an ambassador for them,” said Simonetti. “Being at Harvard, some value their career and prestige more, I’m just trying to give back and leverage company CEO’s, parents, and anyone else to meet my goal of raising $20,000.”
Simonetti didn’t run track in high school, nor does he run regularly -- though he did run the 2018 NYC Marathon, his first-ever marathon, which he completed.
Despite the fact that St. Jude requires a minimum $10k goal for fundraising, Simonetti elected to up the ante.
“I’m not a runner, which is funny,” pointed out Simonetti. “I ran the NYC Marathon as a challenge. I signed up late, broke my tailbone, ran with injuries, and went through the ringer trying to run, so if I can raise that amount of money, or more, I’d be very happy about that.”
Simonetti is the youngest member of St. Jude’s 10-person team, and says he is the first Harvard Business School student to be selected.
“I think I’m the only non-runner, too,” joked Simonetti, who is balancing school, internships, a social life, and his own business on Staten Island, which he helps run from Boston.
When he isn’t tutoring on the side, Simonetti is running Pioneer Tutors, a company he founded on Staten Island.
Despite all of his prior commitments, Simonetti plans to be all-in on race day.
“If I’m running for a cause, I’m not gonna stop,” he explained. "Running isn’t my passion, but I’m not going to quit, it’s about giving back for the kids...I care about the organization.
“I’m going to try to train, but realistically, it’s not gonna happen,” admitted Simonetti. “It’s mind over body, I will finish and I know that.”
Simonetti and his fellow Heroes will pay the patients at St. Jude’s a visit in January, but he’ll be spending his free time trying to raise money for the organization in the meantime.
To learn more or to donate visit: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/stjudeheroesboston2020/anthony-paulsimonetti