Raises more than $5,200 for MS research
Published in the July 20, 2016 edition
PATRICK CURLEY trained for the 2016 C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints World Indoor Rowing Championships on an “erg” at the Peabody/Lynnfield Torigian Family YMCA to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis research. Among his biggest fans were his son Alan and daughter Hannah. (Courtesy Photo)
BOSTON — Lynnfield resident and local elder law attorney Patrick Curley recently competed at the 2016 C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints World Indoor Rowing Championships. In the process, he raised more than $5,200 for the Accelerated Cure Project, a national charity that is focused exclusively on accelerating the discovery of improved treatments and a cure for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a chronic disease of the central nervous system.
The championship, also known as the “C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints,” is held each year at Boston University’s Agganis Arena. Nearly 3,000 of the best rowers from around the world come to Boston each year to race 2,000 meters on Concept 2 rowing machines (aka “ergs”). Rowers are divided into various divisions based upon gender, weight and age.
Top finisher
Competing in the Senior Master (age 40-49) lightweight (under 165 lb.) men’s division, Curley finished as the top “unaffiliated” rower in his division. Almost all of the other competitor’s in his division were affiliated with the world’s top rowing clubs.
“I last competed at the Sprints as a Dartmouth College rower in 1991. After 25 years, I decided it was time to get back on a rowing machine and compete. Needless to say, racing 2,000 meters on a rowing machine is harder at age 43 than age 18. That said, I had the privilege of racing for a cause far more important than my finish time alone,” Curley said, adding, “The Accelerated Cure Project is accelerating life-changing MS research that is helping the 2.3 million people worldwide living with this chronic disease. As an elder law attorney, many of my clients have chronic illnesses, including MS, so no matter how grueling the race, I was privileged to row for this important cause.”
Curley trained for the Sprints over many months on the Concept 2 rowing machines at the Peabody/Lynnfield Torigian Family YMCA. At the race itself, his wife Erin and their children, Alan and Hannah, cheered him on from the arena seats. They also kept an eye on the Jumbotron to see how he was faring throughout the race against the other competitors in his division. Patrick’s father and law partner, Mark Curley, was on the arena floor as each competitor was allowed one “coach” to sit next to him or her for the race.
Based in Waltham, the Accelerated Cure Project (ACP) has transformed the MS research world in the last decade. It has built a unique repository of blood samples and detailed life histories of thousands of individuals with MS.
Traditional medical research creates powerful incentives for researchers to keep their findings secret, which dramatically slows the path to advances in the fight against disease. ACP’s repository flips this dysfunctional model on its head by requiring all researchers accessing the repository to share their research data and results with each other. This speeds research toward a cure by helping researchers double down on promising research leads and by avoiding duplication and dead ends.
Robert McBurney, ACP’s president and CEO, said, “Patrick has raised many thousands of dollars to benefit ACP over the years by competing in extraordinarily challenging athletic competitions. In 2014, we honored him as a ‘Shining Star’ at a gala event at Fenway Park and he continues to be a shining star for the cause of MS research. In May 2016, Patrick joined the Board of Directors and we welcome his leadership experience and passion as we push forward with further strategies to accelerate the discovery of better treatments and a cure for MS.”
Those wishing to donate to ACP in the fight against MS may visit Patrick’s fundraising page at: https://acceleratedcure.donorpages.com/CurleyFundraiser2016/
