Patrick Dunphy is unafraid of challenges.
Recently recovering from retinal surgery, he plans to run the New York City Marathon this November while raising funds for AFB.
"I like how AFB encourages people with vision loss to stretch and challenge themselves to aim higher," he said.
Dunphy, 32, is Assistant Principal and head of the Social Studies department at Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows (Queens, NY). He has a lot in common with his hero, Theodore Roosevelt.
Like the 26th U.S. president, he likes to persevere and, will run the marathon in November, despite recent eye surgery.
"Teddy Roosevelt's doctors told him to slow down saying, you won’t live past 60, to which Roosevelt replied that if he couldn’t live the way he wanted, he wasn't interested in living past 60," Dunphy said. "That kind of determination is why I named my son Theodore."
Diagnosed as a teenager with Stickler's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease, Dunphy has not let it get in the way of setting lofty goals for himself.
"I am not sure how long I have before my vision gets worse or disappears altogether. That’s why it is really important that I run the marathon this year," he said.
Dunphy demonstrates to his students by example that positive thinking is a prerequisite for success.
He qualified for the New York City marathon by participating in the 9+1 program which demands running in 9 qualifying events plus volunteering at one other event.
Asked about his most exciting experience to date, he mentions spotting Yoko Ono in Central Park while volunteering at the 2014 60K race for ultra marathoners.
Dunphy lives in Carle Place, L.I., with his wife Stefanie, a math teacher, and their son Theodore, 3.
The couple met at St. John's University where Patrick's father is an administrator (Patrick J. Dunphy, Director of Planning and Fiscal Affairs).
"Stefanie was my math tutor at St. John's. I needed a lot of help since math is not my forte, and, thanks to Stefanie, I passed," he said.
Dunphy's strengths are in making the study of history and politics exciting and relevant to his students by drawing parallels between current events and what happened in the past.
He grew up in Carle Place and has settled on Long Island staying close to his extended family. Dunphy's wife and cousin are both runners and often join him when he races. His cousin Michael Sciortino will run alongside him in this year's marathon.
Dunphy discovered running in 8th grade and joined the track team in high school as a distance runner.
At age 16, he first noticed that something was wrong with his left eye.
"I waited a long time before asking for help and by the time I got to the doctor's office, I could no longer see the large E in the eye chart," he said.
Genetic testing revealed that he had Stickler's, like his father and sister, but he was the only one in his immediate family to suffer visual impairments.
For assistive technology, he uses an iPad that he adjusts for font size and contrast turning to Voiceover on days when he can't rely on his vision at all.
To support Patrick's run, go to:www.afb.org/patrickruns. Donors are encouraged to give at least $1 per mile, or $26.20.
