December 18, 2001
Olympic torchbearer is the "comeback kid"
DEDHAM, Mass. — Last year, at this time, Dick Smitley of Dedham, Mass., would never have imagined that he would be representing the United States by carrying the Olympic Flame as a member of the Salt Lake 2002 Torch Relay Team. Smitley, who suffered a stroke a year ago, has recovered and has been bestowed the rare opportunity to carry the Olympic Torch on at 4:40 p.m. Dec. 27 from Cooney Street to Inman Street in Cambridge, Mass.
In August, Smitley received a letter from the Torch Relay Team Committee informing him that he had been chosen to carry the Olympic Torch. This letter was a wonderful surprise for Smitley, who is employed by the maintenance department of the Dedham Public School System. Teachers, friends and family nominated him for this honor. His friends and colleagues consider Smitley and his dedication to another run, the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC), an inspiration to the community.
Before suffering the stroke, Smitley was an avid runner and has run in five Boston Marathons® on the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team. The Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC) involves more than 350 participants who run in the Boston Marathon to raise money for cancer research through the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass. Since the DFMC's inception in 1989, runners have raised more than $13.2 million.
Smitley began running on the DFMC team in honor of a student at Dedham High School who was being treated at Dana-Farber's Jimmy Fund Clinic. Now, for his sixth Boston Marathon/DFMC, he will also run in honor of a Dedham High School teacher, who was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
"I have suffered some setbacks this year with my health, but I am feeling great now and I am preparing for the upcoming marathon," says Smitley. "Running for the DFMC has always been a privilege. Running with the Olympic Flame is a once in a life time honor."
In addition to the DFMC and his job, Smitley is one of the founders of the Community Running Club of the Dedham, Westwood and Norwood. The Running Club's mission statement is "Bring Community to Running," and their philosophy is that running is for everyone and physical activity is good for the soul and therefore the community.
On Dec. 4, the Torch Relay officially began and more than 11,500 torchbearers are scheduled to help carry the Olympic Flame through 250 U.S. cities and 46 states. Then on Feb. 8, 2002, a very special Torchbearer will carry this Olympic symbol into Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium and light the Cauldron to officially start the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
