Frantz will run in Boston Marathon for the Pedro Martinez Foundation
By Cela Dorr, Contributing Writer
photo/submitted
Westborough – The quiet moments that predawn hours offer provides the time that Jeremy Frantz takes stock of the day ahead of him. He pauses at the door just before heading out for his morning run to adjust his warm stocking cap, pat the dog and to send a positive thought out to the universe in appreciation of his health. Frantz’s story is not typical of most people who are in recovery, but then again, it’s in that atypicality that makes his story all that more special and impactful. Just past the ninth anniversary of his sobriety from alcohol, Frantz will run the Boston Marathon this April as part of The Pedro Martinez Foundation’s Team.
Frantz was raised in Westborough with his brother and parents, from elementary through high school. His development included being heavily involved athletics, soccer and especially ice hockey. It was in his late teens and early 20s that self-doubt crept into his cells.
“I was “mentally, physically and spiritually broken,” he said, and as such, numbed those feelings with the profuse use of alcohol and drugs.
Here is where the story of his downward spiral sounds similar to so many: arrests for DUI, intervals of losing his driving privileges, hospitalizations because of substance abuse related health complications or acute injuries, attending to program after program, failed rehab stints and too many tears shed between friends and family members about the life he was living. After an incredibly dark fall to rock bottom, he summoned the strength to climb out and to find the value that he, in fact, possesses. With one step in front of the other, he took control of his destiny, finding the pace to his own steps and building upon them every day.
Following the well-known mantras, “one step at a time” and “one day at a time,” he set out for walks and then jogs near the farms and woods of his new home in New Hampshire. There he found a welcome, meditative relief from the physical and social environments in Massachusetts that did not seem to be beneficial to him during this new path of recovery. This time it took; he found that by actively pursuing health in all aspects of his life, he could accomplish anything he had the tenacity to do. Shorter road races became half marathons and then he ran the New York City Marathon November 2019, finishing at a very respectable 3 hours 17 minutes, especially for a first time marathoner. And in order to prove to himself he had the strength, he ran it without any friends or family to meet him at the finish line. He proved to himself that this was a hurdle he could accomplish on his own.
Frantz sees his sobriety in a similar vein as it takes to be a long distance runner.
“All it took is a little willingness and the recognition that not every day is going to be a good day,” he said. “Some days might be tragic and awful. But you dust yourself off and attempt to be better the next time.”
This year is going to be a little bit different. He will have members of the Pedro Martinez Foundation team, friends, family and the greater Westborough community cheering him on as he crisscrosses the roads from Hopkinton to Boston. This time he will not be alone. The cheers, smiles and love from everyone lining the roads are a reminder of who has always and will always be there, continuing to believe in his strength. And the moment he crosses the finish line, he will certainly be a trailblazer for anyone else who needs a path to follow.
“I am in a place in my life that is greater than I could have ever imagined,” he said. “I am at peace.”
All are welcome to attend a final fundraising effort for his run at an event to be held Saturday, March 7, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Westborough. Live music will be provided by Glass Onion and The Chauncy Kings, and there will be raffles, silent auctions and appetizers. Tickets will be $20. To donate to the, you can do so by Venmo, @Jeremy-Frantz-96, or https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/pmfmarathonteam20201.
