BOSTON MARATHON RACE DIRECTOR DAVE MCGILLIVRAY AND WESTFORD TEACHER NANCY FEEHRER RELEASE THIRD CHILDREN'S BOOK, ‘FINISH STRONG'

LOWELL SUN

WESTFORD – Nancy Feehrer, a teacher at the Abbot Elementary School, clearly remembers when Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray came to speak to the students in 2015. As the 400 young audience members sat on the hard gym floor, Feehrer said the students were transfixed by the story of McGillivray’s running career.

“(The students are) always very respectful and polite, but this was different. They were actually reacting strongly to what he was saying,” Feehrer said. “At one point during his talk … they spontaneously just burst into tears and I kind of looked up, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this guy needs a picture book.’”

Shortly after the talk, Feehrer, who has a background in publishing and book writing, reached out to McGillivray with her idea, and offered to collaborate with him on a children’s book about his childhood journey to becoming a runner in the wake of his grandfather’s death. “Dream Big” was published in March 2018, followed by “Running Across America,” about McGillivray’s 1978 cross-country running trip from Medford, Ore., to his hometown of Medford, bookended by Red Sox games, the next year. Today, on what would have been the Boston Marathon date, the third book in the series, “Finish Strong” is available.

“Finish Strong” tells the story of McGillivray’s 2018 participation in the World Marathon Challenge, in which participants run seven marathons on all seven continents in seven consecutive days. This trip took McGillivray to, in order: Novo Station, Antarctica; Cape Town, South Africa; Perth, Australia; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Lisbon, Portugal; Cartagena, Colombia; and Miami, Fla. Suspense builds throughout the pages as readers wonder whether he will finish all seven races.

The book also includes detailed illustrations by Shululu, or Hui Li, who based her digital drawings on photos McGillivray sent her as well as photos of the landscape, flora and fauna. She also illustrated “Running Across America.” Ron Himler, a fine artist and children’s book author who illustrated “Dream Big,” watercolor painted each illustration.

As a teacher, Feehrer made sure to include age-appropriate content for third- through fifth-graders, such as details about the continents’ climates, geographies and major cities. Teachers who have reached out to the pair have already used the story as a teaching tool for their students to learn the continents, a key lesson children learn in those years.

Teachers across the country have used the series as a teaching tool, and have reached out to McGillivray and Feehrer about their students’ reactions to the book. In particular, many young students related to McGillivray in the first book, “Dream Big,” as he struggled with his self-esteem as a child because of his short stature.

McGillivray injected meaning into the book in other ways as well.

“I didn’t want children just to read the book and say, ‘Oh, that was fun,’ and then put it down and go play horseshoes or something, and you just forget about it,” he said. “I want to be able to be what I would consider a ‘call to action,’ meaning I wanted this to be more meaningful than just words and pictures in a book.”

At the end of each book is another teacher-friendly surprise: the “Dream Big” “Marathon,” challenging children to run or walk 26 miles, the length of a marathon, one mile at a time, read 26 books and complete 26 acts of kindness. Those who complete the challenge can go online and receive a medal designed by the same company that designs the official Boston Marathon medals. The pair said hundreds of kids across the country have completed the challenges, often with a teacher’s guidance.

The authors have another mission: to support the Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation, in memory of the 6-year-old boy. Middlemiss, the son of a family friend, passed away from cardiomyopathy in 2013 while waiting for a heart transplant. The foundation purchased half of the first print run of “Dream Big” to donate to classrooms in need across the state.

The cause became even more meaningful to McGillivray when, shortly after he finished the World Marathon Challenge, he discovered he had coronary artery disease and underwent a triple-bypass surgery shortly thereafter. Around the same time, Middlemiss’ brother, Jack, received a heart transplant, as the 5-year-old was also born with cardiomyopathy.

“We kind of grew together as buddies and heart warrior friends, so the connection with the family became even stronger,” he said.

The proceeds from “Finish Strong” and “Dream Big” go to the foundation, as well as part of the proceeds from “Running Across America.” The other portion of the proceeds for that book go to the Red Sox’s foundation, The Jimmy Fund, due to the story’s Red Sox connection.

Head to Amazon.com to pick up a copy of any of the three books.