David Dushkin Changed The Trajectory Of His Life With One Decision

Today I’m talking with another one of my Team in Training teammates that is in town for marathon weekend.

David Dushkin has been a part of Team in Training for quite some time and he’s making a comeback this year after stepping back from Disney races a few years ago.

I am looking forward to going a few easy miles with David Dushkin today.

David Dushkin

No Halfway

David Dushkin loves a good challenge and as proven by his history, he goes all-in on everything.

His introduction to running began when he was left “unsupervised” by his wife for a weekend.

David received a Team in Training postcard in the mail around the same time he met a man that was part of the group.

It only took 10 minutes of speaking with his new friend to convince him to run the Disney marathon.

Team in Training was personal for David because a close friend and co-worker had been diagnosed with cancer.

Initially, David couldn’t run a mile and was overweight, but that didn’t put him off to the challenge of running 26.2.

Unbreakable Bonds

When David first joined Team in Training he had no idea how it would ultimately change his life.

David has been a firefighter and paramedic for 2 decades and in that time had developed PTSD.

David found it difficult to share his emotions with his co-workers and his mental and physical health suffered because of it.

Running was rarely social for David until he joined Team in Training.

His teammates quickly became his social network and lifelong friends.

The year 2018 was especially challenging for David having lost 4 people that were close to him.

During his times of intense grief, David was able to lean on his teammates and open up during the many training miles.

David credits his family and teammates for pulling him out of some dark places.

David Dushkin and His Son

Everyone Has The Ability To Make An Impact

Making the decision to join Team in Training and begin fundraising was an easy one.

David has run Disney races and challenges for 7 years and helped to raise over $30,000 collectively for the organization.

The task to raise money is not always easy and often requires creativity, but it is doable.

The Disney race this weekend will likely be David’s last one for the foreseeable future because there are so many other races he aspires to do.

In typical David fashion of going all-in on whatever he does, he is signed up to do his first ultra this fall which is a 100-mile race.

Running has given David his life and health back, a stronger bond with his son, lifelong friends, and a sense of purpose.

Mentioned In This Episode:

• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• Team In Training
• Run Disney
• Marathon Maniacs

Stay connected with David Dushkin by following him on Facebook and/or Instagram.

David Dushkin changed the trajectory of his life and so many others when he made the decision to join Team in Training. Every step he takes is one step closer to finding a cure. Click To Tweet

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