Some of you know, because I've written about it elsewhere, the story of my friend and fellow E Streeter, Lowell Police Officer Nick Laganas. Here's the pic of Nick I snapped at Mile 16 of the Boston Marathon, on the bridge passing over Route 128. The photo has made its rounds among Nick's friends, of whom there are many. Nick and I are part of the PT team at the Lowell Police Academy that helps train police officers to run.
This particular blog post, though, is written because of an unfortunate development that we're looking to correct ASAP, and I have no doubt whatsoever that the incredible folks who work at the Boston Athletic Association will help us fix it in no time flat. Here he is with fellow E Streeter, and another person who helps out at the Police Academy, Barry Scanlon.
As many of you know, Nick ran in his first Boston Marathon Monday. He's already a running machine, but this was his first venture onto the vaunted course. Nick impressively made it across the finish line in under four hours, and was at the first water station in the finish chute, grabbing a water, when the first blast went off. Instead of continuing down the finish chute, Nick did what law enforcement officers nationwide do - HE RAN TOWARD THE DANGER, even after just logging 26.2 miles of running!
After making sure his parents who were there to cheer him on were uninjured and safe, Nick found himself offering first aid to some of the ailing victims. His photo can be seen in some of the news coverage of the more graphic shots of the site of the first explosion.
Anyone who knows him knows that besides being a proud Army military police sergeant, a veteran who served in Baghdad, Iraq, a great guy, as well as the Mill City's combo of the Dark Knight and Spartacus, Nick's also a pretty modest guy, who shies away from the attention.
But in this case it's warranted.
You see, because Nick didn't continue further down the chute, he never was able to pick up a medal to mark his completion of the marathon. He hasn't been able to grab it in the days since either, when the BAA has been taking care of the many thousands of runners who weren't able to complete the historic race because of the chaos.
So those of us among the E Streeters are hard at work trying to chase down a medal for Nick even as we speak. Fellow E Streeter and Police Academy runner and Beantown Bootcamper Joe Patuto, who ran Monday in yet another of his many marathons, already has wheels in progress to help me secure a medal for this guy.
So hopefully, within the next 48 hours, we'll be able to get Nick his medal on behalf of the BAA. I only wish there was another medal he could get for being a hero of a different kind at this year's Boston Marathon.
2 comments:
Love this..Nick is a great guy that would'nt hesitate to put his life in danger to save others..That's just the kinda guy he is..
Nick is an amazing man. I went to school with him and he has always been well liked by all,always has a smile on his face. To hear of his of unselfish couragesness act does not come as a surprise to me. It obvious that he is out to help others. Nick you are a hero to so many even though you may not think of yourself as one but you truely are along with all other service men and women who put others lives before their own. I am the wife of a firefighter and I understand alot of the situations that you all get faced with on a a daily basis and I am myself are greatful for people like you and my husband.
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