Nearly one year ago, Boston Celtics Assistant Coach and Blackburn College alum Jamie Young was about to hop on the treadmill at the Celtics practice facility when news of last year’s bombings at the Boston Marathon spread through the facility. Young immediately stepped off the treadmill and followed the television with many others at the facility. For the next few days Young was glued to the events transpiring with the police chase and apprehension of one of the two perpetrators. There were three deaths and 264 people injured in this horrific attack that greatly shook the city of Boston. The impending news of the police chase, shootout and apprehension of the second perpetrator gripped the entire country as well.
After that point a co-worker with the Celtics asked Young if he would have an interest in running the 118th Boston Marathon this April 21, and Young agreed. “I feel as if it is an honor to do so for the city of Boston,” said Young. This will be Young’s first marathon he has ever run. “After my dad passed away of a heart attack at 56 in 2007, I started running for health purposes. I wasn't in bad shape or anything, but wanted to take care of my body the best way I could to help avoid this from happening to me. So I started running on the treadmill, usually for 3 miles. As time went on I started to do a few more miles and running outside. That then led to doing some 5k and 10k races. I have continued running over those years and it became part of my everyday routine,” said Young.
Young will be running for the Shamrock Foundation, which is a charitable arm of the Boston Celtics. The foundation supports children in the New England are in need of education and support. The foundation also partners with local groups that benefit children in need. The mission of the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation is to extend the reach of the Celtics championship legacy into our community.
Young, originally from Logansport, Indiana, was a standout basketball and football player at Blackburn. After graduation from Blackburn, Young served as a college assistant before getting a break in the NBA with the New Jersey Nets as their film coach before serving in the same role with the Celtics and then elevated to the bench with the Celtics.