Spotlight - David Babcock

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their Alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each day for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

David and his Grandpa John, who suffered from Parkinson's related dementia.

The first marathon I ever watched was the 2009 NYC marathon. I had a group of my university students with me on a field trip and we exited the subway at the Natural History Museum in the middle of the race. I watched a woman in running gear and a reflective blanket cry and hobble down those subway steps. It took a while to cross the park and I left my students at the Met so I could go back and watch the race. I was moved to tears. The people lining the route couldn't have known all of those runners but they cheered them like they were family. Runners of all shapes and sizes went past, giving it their all. If they could do this maybe I could do this. That started my middle-aged entrance into exercise and running. I ran my first half marathon the next year and my first full a year after that.

My Grandfather suffered from dementia related to his Parkinson's disease. At one point the nurses thought he was German because that is all he would speak. I was never his caregiver, I have a family of my own and lived several states away. My introduction to the Alzheimer's cause is kind of a strange one. I do believe that you shouldn't wait until you are directly affected to care and do something about this terrible disease.

I learned how to knit around the same time that I picked up running. Both activities take a lot of time. I learned how to run smoother to protect my knees. A little bit of curiosity and creativity led me to try multitasking through knitting while running. Was anyone else this crazy or did they have any tips? I found Susie Hewer online. Susie has been fundraising for Alzheimer's Research UK for years. She originated the "Longest Scarf Knit Whilst Running a Marathon" Guinness World Record in London in 2007. 

My brother-in-law wanted to run his first marathon in 2013, a year after my first. Originally I wasn't going to run but he talked me into it. After a training run with him I realized that he is a much slower runner. This resulted in a perfect opportunity to try out my knitting and running in a marathon. I contacted Guinness and registered an attempt. I didn't want breaking the record to detract in any way from Susie's great work for Alzheimer's awareness so I ran for Alzheimer's and did a little fundraising.

I broke the record, nearly doubling it, and became the new odd news of the day. It makes for a funny story. As much as I could my answers to 'why did you do it?' were directed back to Alzheimer's. I am by no means a stellar fundraiser and I still have a lot to learn. The good people of Lion Brand Yarn Company liked my story and reached out to me. Fortunately for them I used their yarn in my record. We brainstormed together as to what activities could benefit us both. I get to run more and raise money and awareness for Alzheimer's and they get to connect with their consumers in a meaningful way.

David with his finger-knit scarf following the Kansas City Half Marathon October 18, 2014

We settled on the NYC marathon. The amazing ALZ NYC Athletes to End Alzheimer's team has made all the difference. Elizabeth Hodges did a great job negotiating with NYRR and getting some real answers and assurances about what I could be allowed to do. The NYPD security measures rule out a lot of things: No tools, no bulky packs and gear. A marathon is not supposed to be an easy or convenient thing and necessity is the mother of invention. I have learned how to do without. I developed my own form of finger knitting and plan to carry yarn in the form of close fitting yarn wear that I will unravel to make a new small but complex scarf, all while running 26.2 miles. Should be fun.

As a sponsor, Lion Brand has been invaluable in helping me to connect with people. One of my favorite activities has been a post on their blog where I invited people to share their personal stories surrounding yarn and their loved ones who suffer from Alzheimer's for a chance to receive one of the scarves that I have made on my training runs. The results have been amazing. I now have a collection of stories that have made me laugh, cry, and cheer and that I carry in my head and heart every time I run. These people, and too many more like them, are the reason I run and knit and they make it worth it.

I hope that by giving people a funny story, that they can connect with, that I can in some small way get them to pay attention and remind them that they do care about Alzheimer's. Anything is worth doing if it can start those conversations that focus people on a cure and the much needed support for caregivers. I look forward to being with such a great team. Hopefully being able to lay claim to the Knitting Runner will be an asset to the team fundraising. Thank you for letting me participate. This really is a fulfillment of that spectator moment in Central Park. I can do this. We can do this.