Kathryn D’Alessandro, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Noah Coughlan ran 3,100 miles. He ran through nine mountain ranges and three deserts. He ran through rain and through oven-like heat. He camped out in deserts. On Sunday, November 10, Coughlan completed his second run across America, becoming just the 27th person to do so twice.
On November 7, only three days before finishing his run, Coughlan stopped running for a few hours to talk to Newtown High School AP Psychology Students. He told his story, and talked about what inspired him to carry out this crazy idea.
He ran across the country with nothing but a stroller of supplies and an American flag to raise awareness for Batten disease, a rare fatal disease that claimed the life of a girl he grew up with.
Batten disease, which is caused by a missing enzyme that removes brain waste, is fatal. Though there is some treatment, there is no known cure yet. There are different types of the disease, but the majority of those affected die by their twenties. Coughlan hopes that raising awareness will speed up the discovery of a cure.
“I was trying to think of something that’s very unique and would grab the attention of the media,” Coughlan said.
Using a map he found online of all the families affected by Batten’s disease, he runs to them, usually attracting the attention of local and national news.
“I thought it’d be fitting to run from city to city,” Coughlan said. He added that he loves meeting the families and tries to instill hope in them.
“I hope I’m making a difference for the families,” he said. “I hope I’m inspiring them to not give up.” Coughlan certainly is an inspiring man, putting a lot on the line to complete the cross-country run.
The most obvious of these sacrifices was his health. Coughlan, who ran, on average, 45 miles a day, burned almost as many calories as he took in per day, and had lost a lot of weight since he left California in July.
The other thing that Coughlan had to worry about was his job, which he gave up to do the three-month run.
“I don’t make any income off of this so I am technically unemployed,” he admitted. However, he didn’t seem too concerned, adding, “I’ll figure out what I’m doing about my job when I get home.”
To Coughlan, these sacrifices are unimportant when he considers his ultimate goal – finding a cure for Batten’s disease. As Coughlan put it, he found his “why,” and encouraged NHS students to do the same.
“I am an ordinary individual who has challenged myself to do an extraordinary thing,” he said. “Make a difference any way you can, whether it’s big, like running across America, or small.”
Students who heard him speak were certainly inspired, and came away from the presentation with a lot to think about.
“We all have causes we believe in, and it’s one thing to think about it but it’s another thing to do it. He’s not even doing it for money or publicity or anything, he’s doing it strictly for the cause,” NHS senior Aileen Sheluck said.
Coughlan felt it was all worth it to benefit his cause, but it was a tough three months. He has some exciting plans after he arrives in Boston, as he intends to spend some time exploring the city and then New York.
“As soon as I see the sand, I’m ditching the stroller and running into the ocean with the flag, like Paul Revere,” Coughlan said.
Coughlan’s run allowed him to achieve personal goals while also working for a cause.
