Five runners will be representing and raising money for the Adaptive Sports Foundation by participating in the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 2. Our final marathoner we’ll be highlighting in our Marathon Monday campaign with a Q & A is Connor DiGiacomo! Connor is the first adaptive athlete to participate in the Marathon for Team ASF, so we’re excited to have him on board! Please consider donating to Connor’s fundraising page by clicking here.
ASF: What’s been the most challenging part of your marathon training so far — and how did you push through it?
CD: The most challenging part of my marathon training has been balancing the responsibilities of being a law student, working, and training at the same time.
ASF: If your marathon training were a movie, what would it be called?
CD: The Road Ahead and the Pace of Success.
ASF: What do you listen to while training?
CD: For the first few months of training, I worked up in Vermont, so I spent much time on the open road. While in the bike lane and alongside traffic, I was not listening to music and intently watching my surroundings, so I didn’t have a pump-up song. For the last few months, I have been back at law school, so when I can bike, I catch up on sports, podcasts or listen to music if I feel like it.
ASF: What’s the best meal or snack you like to eat after you train?
CD: After training, I love to enjoy a nice piece of steak.
ASF: If you could train with any athlete or public figure (living or not), who would it be and why?
CD: I would like to train with Erik Weihenmayer. Erik is one of roughly 500 people recorded to have climbed the Seven Summits and the only person to do so as a blind man. To be able to train with someone who has such resolve and determination and is in elite physical shape is someone I would be honored to work out with.
ASF: How do you stay motivated on those tough days when running feels like a slog?
CD: On days when training is rough, I think of how awesome it will feel when I finish. Additionally, I remind myself that I wanted to run the NYC Marathon and would not have embarked on this journey if I didn’t think I could. Finally, the opportunity to inspire others and prove to kids and young adults with disabilities that it is within their power to push themselves to do something that requires this much mental fortitude and physical effort is a great feeling.
ASF: What are you looking forward to the most on marathon race day?
CD: I am looking forward to crossing the finish line with my cousin Brian Vinniski and his fiancé Allison McClain . Moreover, I will be incredibly proud of my brother Chris DiGiacomo, who is running the Marathon as a guide for Achilles International. To know that we have done the incredible feat of running the NYC Marathon as a family will be a great feeling.
ASF: Have you ever been to NYC? If so, what are your favorite spots in the city and if not, what are you looking forward to most about exploring a new city?
CD: As someone who grew up in Northern New Jersey and has a father who works in NYC, I have been to New York countless times. My favorite spots are Chinatown and Little Italy to visit my cousin Chuck, and Yankee Stadium.
ASF: How did you first learn about the ASF? What made you want to get involved?
CD: I learned about the ASF through my cousin Brian Vinniski and his fiancé Allison McClain. Brian and Allie are running the NYC Marathon alongside me, as we fundraise for the ASF. Allie’s brother, Richard McClain, is an ASF Board of Trustees member and former volunteer.
ASF: What does running for the ASF mean to you personally?
CD: Running for the ASF means that I have a chance to ensure that kids and other adults with disabilities will continue to have access to adaptive sports that I have enjoyed throughout life as a young man with Cerebral Palsy. Also, in running for ASF, I can inspire both able-bodied and disabled people to confront their challenges and push themselves to succeed. Running for Team ASF allows me to remind myself of what I am capable of physically and mentally as I progress through life, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity.
Good Luck Connor, and thank you for being a part of Team ASF in the TCS NYC Marathon!
Connor is one of five marathon runners raising money and awareness for the ASF in this year’s TCS NYC Marathon. If you’d like to learn more about the other runners and donate to their pages, click on their links below: