Boston Marathon Profile: Ashley Rozes

PORTSMOUTH, RI—Portsmouth has eight residents running in this year's Boston Marathon. Portsmouth Patch highlights those runners in the next few days.Today, we meet Ashley Rozes, who is 33. Good luck, Ashley.

Rozes and Brooke Farrington (Team Fearless for Boston) are hosting a co-fundraiser at the Tavern on Broadway, A Happy Hour, Saturday, April 8 from 4 to 6 p.m. Or if the community would like to donate, they can do so by visiting, https://www.crowdrise.com/HeatherAbbottFoundationBoston2017/fundraiser/ashleyrozes

Reason for running: This past October while attending my third Marine Corps Marathon, while eating at the Semper Fi Fund Pre-Race Dinner, I was introduced to Newport's own Heather Abbott. Heather, is a 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing survivor. Heather was severely injured during the bombing, and in the days after the incident, Heather, after consulting with amputees like those on the Semper Fi Fund Team Athletes, Heather made the decision to amputate her lower left leg due to the injuries sustained.

In the months following the amputation, the One Fund was able to help Heather obtain and purchase the prosthetic device she needed to live her life again, prostheses normally not covered through insurance policies. She has a prosthesis for everyday use, one for paddle boarding, and my personal favorite.... one for use in high heels with incredibly detailed painted toe nails!

Heather is truly amazing, despite her injuries and all she has had to overcome, she turned her efforts to helping others. Those prostheses that she gets to wear on a daily basis, are not provided to many other amputees due to the fact insurance policies will not cover multiple devices, or revisions for ill fitting devises. Heather saw a need, and in true Newport fashion, stepped up to try and alleviate some of that need, in turn she formed The Heather Abbott Foundation, which helps grant prosthetic devices to those in need who have suffered a traumatic limb loss. She has helped men, women, adults and children alike. Whether it be a leg, a hand, an arm or a foot, The Foundation does the legwork in purchasing the limb thru grants with prosthetic designers both locally and nationally.

Meeting Heather that evening was no coincidence. I run The Marine Corps Marathon annually to honor my dear late friend Colonel Edward Fitzgerald, and my mothers brother who was killed in action during the Vietnam Conflict. That evening one of the Colonel's dearest friends, and ranking retired General of the Marine Corps was seated just beyond Heather. On my way to thank the General for all his support and kindness during the week's before Portsmouth's own Colonel Ed Fitzgerald passing, I was able to speak to Heather. After speaking with the General, I looked around the room full of runners and military wives and families, survivors of horrific war injuries who are prospering through recovery with the help of the Semper Fi Fund, Heather and how she owned the room around her, and I knew... it wasn't a coincidence, It was a "Mr. Fitz" moment. I knew that at that very moment I was being asked to help, the chances two amazing humans like Heather and the General would be seated back to back, and I realize the two of them were there and speak with both of them was no chance act. It was a calling, in a ways a fire to act and help Heather in the way I knew how... through charity.

Shortly after the Marine Corps Marathon I was notified I was accepted for the 2017 Heather Abbott Foundation, Boston Marathon Team Limb-it-less! I would be the first runner ever from Aquidneck Island to take on the quest to raise $6,000 for the Foundation Heather so graciously founded!

Marathon experience: 2014 Providence Marathon; 2014, 2015 and 2016 Marine Corps Marathon (also registered for 2017 Marine Corps Marathon this October)

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Training tip: The weeks of training have been all but bumpy, but I am set to persevere. In December I had major arm surgery at the Mass General Hospital, I had to take 3 weeks off from training, but thankfully was able to jump right back in. Five days before the biggest fundraiser I was set to host would be held, we had a kitchen fire in which I suffered second and third degree burns on my right hand. This past weekend I was forced to move from one Portsmouth home to another due to the fire. About a week ago I was diagnosed with compartment syndrome in both calf's and am unable to run thru the start of Boston in an attempt to get the pressure in the calf's down. But, this is not stopping me. I am swimming and biking daily, and I am currently only short $1,500 from my $6,000 goal!

Training your mind is just as important as training your body, mental fortitude and not physical strength carry you through the last 8 miles of a marathon.b) Listen to your body when it feels like more than an ache... it is always right and as a runner it is the hardest thing to acknowledge but failure to do so leads to serious injury. (I am proof of this!)c) Have fun, strict training regiments sometimes allow us to lose focus on why we started, remember that there is more to a marathon than hills, sprint intervals and long runs. d) Treasure the friendships the sport blesses you with, sometimes you never know the influences others can have on you in a short 26.2 miles on pavement.

Photo submitted

Are you running the Boston Marathon? We'd love to feature you, too. Email margo.sullivan@patch.com.


Charlene Arsenault (Patch Staff) contributed to this report.