By John Torenli Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Ever catch the Brooklyn mom with the double-jogging stroller running around Prospect Park?
Well, her name is Dorothy McPhee, and come Sunday morning she will be one of the thousands of runners from all over the world competing in, and hopefully completing, the grueling 26.2-mile trek through the five boroughs called the ING New York City Marathon.
“I’m definitely excited, but definitely nervous,” McPhee admitted yesterday as she continued making final preparations for the run of her life.
“I train with both of my kids [3-year-old son Daasabre and 1-year-old daughter Gyamfua]. I love running and I am proud to say that people often cheer for me or stop me to say that I inspire them.”
McPhee, who is representing Brooklyn as one of five NYC moms participating in the Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge, knows a thing or two about the regimentation and discipline required to run a marathon — even though this will be her first foray into the longest of road races.
“I am the dean at the New York Harbor School in Bushwick, Brooklyn, which means that I organize and implement the discipline policies and maintain order in a tough inner-city school,” she revealed.
“Prior to working there, I was a dean, and track and cross-country coach at Truman High School in the Bronx.”
Though she just moved to Brooklyn a little over a year ago, McPhee’s family history traces back almost two centuries in our fair borough.
“When my family came her from Scotland, they moved to Brooklyn 200 years ago,” said McPhee. “My roots are here. My great, great grandmother lived here. There’s a picture of her at the Brooklyn Museum.”
The yet-to-turn-30-year-old has become a fixture in Prospect Park, often drawing cheers from curious onlookers or fellow runners amazed to see a mother of two grinding out miles around the historic Brooklyn landscape while inspiring others to do the same.
“When I run the [New York Roadrunner Races] throughout the five boroughs, fellow runners recognize me as the ‘Cheering Mom’ since I am an enthusiastic and vocal runner, cheering for my peers, myself, for spectators, and generally keeping people smiling and motivated throughout the races,” said McPhee.
“Other runners often grab me at the finish line and say, ‘I always look for you in the races because you are always so motivating! I’m so glad you were running near me — you got me through that race and helped me run a PR (personal record)!’”
McPhee has also been training with moms from the other four boroughs in preparation for Sunday. She revealed that the group will start together at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and run in a pack for approximately 13 miles before employing an “every mom for herself” scramble to the finish at Central Park.
Though she normally puts in anywhere from 15 to 16 miles during training, McPhee maxed out at 24 prior to Sunday’s race, putting her in prime position to achieve her ultimate goal in one of the most celebrated marathons in the world.
“It has been my dream to run the ING New York City Marathon for years, and I have been training for it since just six weeks after my last baby was born [June 2008],” she said.
“We ran several races while pregnant, including the Staten Island Half Marathon in October of 2007. I’m thrilled to have completed nine races before my pregnancy obstructed our ability to run. We set our goal to begin training as soon as our babies were born in spring of 2008. We did and I was so proud of myself to be on track to run the Marathon.”
Regardless of her performance Sunday, McPhee knows that her participation in the annual event is simply an affirmation of the vital role running has played in her life.
“It has helped me de-stress from my job, pursue difficult personal challenges, remind myself that I am capable of so much, maintain a healthy level of fitness and body weight, and have two comfortable, easy pregnancies which both ended in easy, comfortable, natural births,” she said.
“When I go out training. People stop me in the street a lot. They say, ‘If you can do it, I can do it.’”
She certainly can, and will.
See Dorothy Run: All five “Marathon Moms” will start the ING New York City Marathon at 9:15 a.m., and will be featured on WNBC 4 New York during the live five-hour television broadcast of the race.
The Five Borough Challenge participants will run together at an approximate pace of eight minutes per mile for the first 13.1 miles and then race one another to determine the 2009 Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge champion.
Joining McPhee in this year’s challenge are: Jessica Lebron, 31, of the Bronx; Allyson Hentel-Koplin, 37, of Manhattan; Angela Gonzalez, 46, of Queens; and Lisa Stavros DeFillipo, 43, of Staten Island.
Two soldiers from Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton’s Army Base are running as part of the marathon as the “St. Vincent’s Warriors” team to raise money for the St. Vincent’s Trauma and Wellness Center.
A unique program of St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan, the Trauma and Wellness Center began in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to provide mental health services to rescue and recovery workers, schoolchildren, families, residents, and families who lost loved ones, as well as others who were impacted by 9/11.
Since then the Trauma and Wellness Center has established specific programs to address post traumatic stress disorder and mild traumatic brain injury in returning soldiers as well as to provide assistance to their families.
Capt. Jennifer Mondido deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom VII the 10th CAB, Ft. Drum, N.Y., successfully flying more than 200 combat hours.
Capt. William Figueroa was deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and is currently the commander of the U.S. Army’s New York City Metro Recruiting Company.
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