Agawam native finishes first Boston Marathon, raises money for specialty hospital

April 19, 2018 | Jordan Houston
jordan@thereminder.com

Leisl Bard, right, of Agawam finished her first Boston Marathon, despite freezing rain and brisk temperatures. She was accompanied by her boyfriend, Ben Pasquariello, left. The couple committed to raising $10,000 each for Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a Boston specialty hospital.
Reminder Publications submitted photo.

AGAWAM – Leisl Bard of Agawam took the spotlight after announcing her decision to run the Boston marathon in honor of her sister, who was killed by a drunken driver, while raising money for a Boston specialty hospital. On April 16, she did just that.  

Bard joined the hundreds of other Boston marathon runners in the greater Boston area on Patriots’ Day to complete the 26-mile race. Despite harsh weather conditions, Bard and her boyfriend, Ben Pasquariello, finished strong at five hours and two minutes. Although the couple was shooting for four and a half, Bard said she is pleased with their overall performance.

“We’re both very sore but very happy it’s done,” said Bard. “It was not fun, it was really cold and windy and I don’t think we could’ve prepared for that – we tried to wear layers and ponchos for a majority of the time. But, it was still a great experience and we’re really lucky we still had a bunch of family scattered along the 26.2 miles. We’re pretty happy at the fact we finished and finished strong.”

At around 11:15 a.m., Bard and Pasquariello geared up with their team, Massachusetts Eye and Ear. The pair committed to raising $10,000 each for the specialty hospital, which focuses on treatments and cures for blindness, deafness and diseases of the head and neck. Bard told Reminder Publications they are both  expecting to achieve their fundraising goals by May 1.

Friends and family showed their support for the couple on their big day. With freezing rain and brisk temperatures, there were times where Bard said she felt like giving up – but then remembered her sister, Evan Bard, was also there supporting her from above.

“There was a moment when I was just screaming, ‘Why?’ to the sky. I was mentally thinking, ‘You [Evan] can’t help out a little with this weather?’  But, I think  she was there to keep pushing,” said Bard. “I just kept thinking of why I was running and what was on my back. I knew she was there giving us courage to get to the finish line.”

In 2013, Evan was killed in a one-car crash after her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Sean Jackman, attempted to drive while drunk. Jackman offered to give Evan a ride home after the two attended a wedding of a mutual friend. He had been drinking during the day, and was drunk by nearly three times the legal limit. At around 12 a.m., he sped around a dangerous curve in Canton, losing control of his car. He crashed into a wall, then a tree. Evan was killed instantly. She was 20-years-old when she died.

Bard was very close with her sister, she said.

“She was always the picture-perfect older sister. She always looked after me and gave me good advice – she was just really loving and supportive,” said Bard. “We started to develop the best friendship toward the end of my senior year of high school. Looking back, I’m glad we had those moments – it was very beneficial and special to me.”

Since then, running has been something that makes Bard feel closer to her sister, she explained.

Bard started running long-distance after she graduated from Babson College. The former collegiate athlete was looking for a new way to stay in shape after a successful athletic career in soccer and track.

Although long-distance didn’t necessarily help her cope with her sister’s death, Bard said she sees her sister’s face every time she feels like giving up – which motivates her to push herself even harder.

This was the case for the Boston marathon as well.

In addition to running the marathon for Mass. Eye and Ear, Bard said she ran every mile of the race to honor every year her sister’s “beautiful soul has lived.” Evan would have turned 26 this May.

When asked if she would consider running the Boston marathon again, Bard laughed and said it might be too early to tell. Running a 26-mile marathon can have taxing effects on the body’s muscles, heart and lungs.

However, Bard said she would consider it if she could run in support of the EvvGirl Foundation, a non-profit organization created by her family to memorialize Evan’s life and support the causes she was passionate about. The foundation’s mission is to stop “avoidable” drunken driving crashes.

“It’s hard to stay right now because we’re in so much pain and the weather was so bad, so I don’t know if I could do it again,” said Bard. “But, I always said if I could run for my sister’s foundation, I would do it again – so, I’m not going to close the door on it.”

For now, Bard plans on resting and relaxing. She said she is looking forward to celebrating her boyfriend’s birthday, which took place on the day of the race, in Disney world.

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