TEAM FCVN: Running the 2008 Boston Marathon (January 7, 2008)
Team FCVN will be running in the 2008 Boston Marathon on April 21, 2008. As you know, there are many reasons why participants choose to endure the physical and emotional challenge of the Boston Marathon. Some run to win; most run to finish; a few, use the opportunity to give. Members of Team FCVN are two of the few. Tom Nguyen, Gaston Kelly, and Matthew R. Nau have chosen to share their dream of completing a Boston Marathon with orphaned children in Vietnam. Help us, help Tom and Gaston reach their goal, by pledging, either by check or online. (be sure to include Tom, Gaston or Matt’s name when pledging).
Just click on our donate link or send check to:
ChildrenVietnam
P.O. Box 2507
Rockville, MD 20847
Note: P.O. Box 15902, Arlington, VA 22215 has been closed. Our new address is listed above. Please send any correspondence to the new address above.
The Foundation is a charitable corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Contributions are fully tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Code 501(c)(3).
Team Members:
Tom M Nguyen
Born in Viet Nam, in 1964
Wife, Jessie (42) and four children, Timothy (14), Gabrielle (11), Jolie (8), Benjamin (4)
Occupation, Self-Employed as Tax Accountant
Graduate from University of Houston in 1987 with Accounting Degree
I have been running for about 12 years.
Gaston Kelly
Hingham, Massachusetts
A Freshman attending Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts
Currently playing Varsity Soccer at Williams:
Kelly was a two-time all-New England soccer player and a three-time Patriot MVP. In track, he was an all-star in both seasons, helping the Harbormen to a league title in the spring as well. He left Hingham with a weighted 5.324 GPA.
Kelly was a goal-scoring machine for a Harbormen squad that did not lose a game until the Division 2 state semifinal against Stoneham. With 36 goals and eight assists, Kelly set a single-season scoring record for Hingham. The junior is a three-time Patriot League All-Star and a two-time Patriot League MVP. He has been named to the All-State and All-New England teams. He has a 3.3 GPA and is a member of the honor roll. He also plays club soccer for the Cape Cod Crusaders in the Mass Premier League. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, running, and watching movies.
Matthew R. Nau
Born and raised in West Virginia
Graduated from West Virginia University (Forestry) and Indiana
University
(MBA)
Married to Robin Daly and father of Alayna (15) and Mikaela (15)
Works for Lafarge North America
Being the proud father of twin girls adopted from Colombia SA, I am
excited
about running my 1st Boston Marathon in support of an organization
helping
orphanages in Viet Nam. This will be my 13th marathon, so hopefully 13
will be FCVN’s lucky number!
Just click on our donate link or send check to:
ChildrenVietnam
P.O. Box 2507
Rockville, MD 20847
Note: P.O. Box 15902, Arlington, VA 22215 has been closed. Our new address is listed above. Please send any correspondence to the new address above.
The Foundation is a charitable corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Contributions are fully tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Code 501(c)(3).
Team Members:
Tom M Nguyen
Born in Viet Nam, in 1964
Wife, Jessie (42) and four children, Timothy (14), Gabrielle (11), Jolie (8), Benjamin (4)
Occupation, Self-Employed as Tax Accountant
Graduate from University of Houston in 1987 with Accounting Degree
I have been running for about 12 years.
Gaston Kelly
Hingham, Massachusetts
A Freshman attending Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts
Currently playing Varsity Soccer at Williams:
Kelly was a two-time all-New England soccer player and a three-time Patriot MVP. In track, he was an all-star in both seasons, helping the Harbormen to a league title in the spring as well. He left Hingham with a weighted 5.324 GPA.
Kelly was a goal-scoring machine for a Harbormen squad that did not lose a game until the Division 2 state semifinal against Stoneham. With 36 goals and eight assists, Kelly set a single-season scoring record for Hingham. The junior is a three-time Patriot League All-Star and a two-time Patriot League MVP. He has been named to the All-State and All-New England teams. He has a 3.3 GPA and is a member of the honor roll. He also plays club soccer for the Cape Cod Crusaders in the Mass Premier League. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, running, and watching movies.
Matthew R. Nau
Born and raised in West Virginia
Graduated from West Virginia University (Forestry) and Indiana
University
(MBA)
Married to Robin Daly and father of Alayna (15) and Mikaela (15)
Works for Lafarge North America
Being the proud father of twin girls adopted from Colombia SA, I am
excited
about running my 1st Boston Marathon in support of an organization
helping
orphanages in Viet Nam. This will be my 13th marathon, so hopefully 13
will be FCVN’s lucky number!
TEAM FCVN 2008 BOSTON MARATHON OFFICIAL RESULTS: $8,300.00 (April 21, 2008)
Congratulations to Gaston, Tom and Matt, they ran and ran and ran and ran and ran….
And they raised awareness and funds for FCVN. Thanks again Team FCVN, we are all so proud of each and everyone of you.
It was neck and neck for a while. Hopefully no hearts were broken when the team ran up Heartbreak Hill. We could hear the crowds cheering for Team FCVN in Wellesley, Chestnut Hill, Boston College, Cleveland Cirle, Kenmore Square, and all the way along Boylston Street to the finish line in front of the historic Boston Public Library.
FCVN would like to extend to Team FCVN 2008 an official: Job well done! Together, Team FCVN raised $8,300.00, WOW!
Here are the Team’s Offcial Times:
Matt Nau 3:58:53
Gaston Kelly 4:03:05
Tom Nuyen 4:08:57
AWESOME!
And they raised awareness and funds for FCVN. Thanks again Team FCVN, we are all so proud of each and everyone of you.
It was neck and neck for a while. Hopefully no hearts were broken when the team ran up Heartbreak Hill. We could hear the crowds cheering for Team FCVN in Wellesley, Chestnut Hill, Boston College, Cleveland Cirle, Kenmore Square, and all the way along Boylston Street to the finish line in front of the historic Boston Public Library.
FCVN would like to extend to Team FCVN 2008 an official: Job well done! Together, Team FCVN raised $8,300.00, WOW!
Here are the Team’s Offcial Times:
Matt Nau 3:58:53
Gaston Kelly 4:03:05
Tom Nuyen 4:08:57
AWESOME!
Read the Runners Experience of the 2008 Team FCVN Boston Marathon: (May 21, 2008)
Some says running the Boston Marathon is the top ten experience of your life. I agree 100%. What an experience! I am now hooked and have found my running passion again. I am currently training with the help of a coach, Greg McMillan, hoping to qualify for the Boston Marathon in the future.
Yes, the Heartbreak Hill was bad and so are the other one hundred hills on the course including that last one around the turn to the finish line. Yes, I felt nauseated and threw up afterward. Yes, my quad ached more than ever. Yes, I felt worse than any other marathons including the one I did not finish. Yes, even my hair hurt. But yes, I loved every minutes I am in Boston for the Marathon even during the race. Soaking up the atmosphere of the weekend and the day after, I unexpectedly got a chance to meet my running hero, Bill Rodgers. Meeting him and Bart Yasso was the cherry on top. I still have stupid smile on my face that would not go away. I will go back to Boston. The question is how often. See you there!
Thank you for the experience.
Tom M Nguyen
Friends & Family,
The 2008 Boston Marathon is now history! The male winner beat me by
about 110 minutes and Lance Armstrong “edged” me out by about 68
minutes, but I completed the Boston Marathon in under 4 hours and had a
great time doing it!! The three runners representing the Foundation for
the Children of Vietnam (FCVN) started with about 1,200 other charity
runners and were in the last group to cross the starting line. Team
FCVN can proudly report that we finished handily beat nearly 6,000 of
the 22,000 + finishers!!!
Your collective support was/is greatly appreciated!
Here’s the lowdown on the race:
This was my 13th marathon and without doubt the 112th running of the
Boston Marathon was the best organized, best executed and certainly
the best supported race I have ever run. It was truly amazing!
There were over 22,000 runners supported by over 500,000 screaming
Boston-area residents, students, Red Sox fans (and a couple Yankee
fans)! It was totally cool!
You couldn’t help but be inspired and motivated by the young and the
not-so-young, the male and the female, the local and the international (72 countries), and the healthy and the visually and mobilityimpaired fellow runners! It was truly awesome!
While the legendary Heartbreak Hill would just barely be classified
as a hill in West Virginia, having it stare down at you at Mile 19.5 made
it plenty steep in my book! Luckily the crowds lining the hill and the view from the top made it worth the climb! But it was a PITB!
The 112th Boston was the 1st marathon that I’ve run to raise
donations for a charity. The chance to run 26.2 miles in Boston with some of
the fastest marathoners in the world and with “regular” people like you
and me raising money to help those less fortunate certainly gave the race
new meaning. And reading the close of Phuong Bui’s (FCVN director)
congratulatory email to Team FCVN — “your miles save lives” –made
the whole experience unforgettable!
Thanks,
Matt Nau
What began as an overly ambitious New Years Resolution turned out to be one the most fulfilling experiences of my life. When I revealed to my cross country and track superstar girlfriend that I was going to run a marathon she shook her head, giggled, and then laughed. And then laughed some more.
All of a sudden my ambition met the necessity of FCVN who needed runners to run the Boston Marathon. I had toyed with the idea of running less serious events around the country but I figured nothing would beat running my hometown marathon for an awesome cause.
Then the training happened. I ran on icy roads and lonely trails. I spent hours on endless treadmills and occasionally ran at night, mostly by myself. The training was different but very relaxing. It reminded me that I used to really like running. The support I was given from every imaginable angle was invaluable. Everybody from friends to family to friend’s family to complete strangers were extremely supportive. Many were more than happy to share some marathon advice! (Chaffing!)
Race day was a blurr. I woke up earlier than I had ever woken up. The line to get on the buses was amazingly long but there were so many eager faces. What struck me was that more than a handful of people thanked me for being a charity runner which really put things into perspective. The bus ride was funny. There was traffic and when the bus was stuck people would jump out and go to the bathroom on the side of the highway. Driving to Hopkinton made me a little uneasy because driving 26.2 miles takes a good amount of time. It is really far!
When the gun went off I ran slowly for a while. I felt great. I had an MP3 player but I did not use it once which I am glad about. The crowd was amazing. The first half of the race was real easy. The second half, eh…not so much. I started getting tired with about 12 miles to go but Wellesley and Boston College were the most fun parts of the race. I never allowed myself to consider the possibility of dropping out so I never doubted myself but it really took a lot out of me to keep running. Finishing was so exciting. I had not wanted to set a goal time for my first marathon but I am more than happy with my time.
The fact that I was able to help FCVN in their mission truly added a whole other level to the experience. I reminded myself multiple times when the going got tough that I was not just running for myself and I am sure that helped push me up the hills to the end. Thank you all at FCVN for granting me this opportunity, I will forever be grateful and would love to help out again in the future.
Sincerely,
Gaston Kelly
Yes, the Heartbreak Hill was bad and so are the other one hundred hills on the course including that last one around the turn to the finish line. Yes, I felt nauseated and threw up afterward. Yes, my quad ached more than ever. Yes, I felt worse than any other marathons including the one I did not finish. Yes, even my hair hurt. But yes, I loved every minutes I am in Boston for the Marathon even during the race. Soaking up the atmosphere of the weekend and the day after, I unexpectedly got a chance to meet my running hero, Bill Rodgers. Meeting him and Bart Yasso was the cherry on top. I still have stupid smile on my face that would not go away. I will go back to Boston. The question is how often. See you there!
Thank you for the experience.
Tom M Nguyen
Friends & Family,
The 2008 Boston Marathon is now history! The male winner beat me by
about 110 minutes and Lance Armstrong “edged” me out by about 68
minutes, but I completed the Boston Marathon in under 4 hours and had a
great time doing it!! The three runners representing the Foundation for
the Children of Vietnam (FCVN) started with about 1,200 other charity
runners and were in the last group to cross the starting line. Team
FCVN can proudly report that we finished handily beat nearly 6,000 of
the 22,000 + finishers!!!
Your collective support was/is greatly appreciated!
Here’s the lowdown on the race:
This was my 13th marathon and without doubt the 112th running of the
Boston Marathon was the best organized, best executed and certainly
the best supported race I have ever run. It was truly amazing!
There were over 22,000 runners supported by over 500,000 screaming
Boston-area residents, students, Red Sox fans (and a couple Yankee
fans)! It was totally cool!
You couldn’t help but be inspired and motivated by the young and the
not-so-young, the male and the female, the local and the international (72 countries), and the healthy and the visually and mobilityimpaired fellow runners! It was truly awesome!
While the legendary Heartbreak Hill would just barely be classified
as a hill in West Virginia, having it stare down at you at Mile 19.5 made
it plenty steep in my book! Luckily the crowds lining the hill and the view from the top made it worth the climb! But it was a PITB!
The 112th Boston was the 1st marathon that I’ve run to raise
donations for a charity. The chance to run 26.2 miles in Boston with some of
the fastest marathoners in the world and with “regular” people like you
and me raising money to help those less fortunate certainly gave the race
new meaning. And reading the close of Phuong Bui’s (FCVN director)
congratulatory email to Team FCVN — “your miles save lives” –made
the whole experience unforgettable!
Thanks,
Matt Nau
What began as an overly ambitious New Years Resolution turned out to be one the most fulfilling experiences of my life. When I revealed to my cross country and track superstar girlfriend that I was going to run a marathon she shook her head, giggled, and then laughed. And then laughed some more.
All of a sudden my ambition met the necessity of FCVN who needed runners to run the Boston Marathon. I had toyed with the idea of running less serious events around the country but I figured nothing would beat running my hometown marathon for an awesome cause.
Then the training happened. I ran on icy roads and lonely trails. I spent hours on endless treadmills and occasionally ran at night, mostly by myself. The training was different but very relaxing. It reminded me that I used to really like running. The support I was given from every imaginable angle was invaluable. Everybody from friends to family to friend’s family to complete strangers were extremely supportive. Many were more than happy to share some marathon advice! (Chaffing!)
Race day was a blurr. I woke up earlier than I had ever woken up. The line to get on the buses was amazingly long but there were so many eager faces. What struck me was that more than a handful of people thanked me for being a charity runner which really put things into perspective. The bus ride was funny. There was traffic and when the bus was stuck people would jump out and go to the bathroom on the side of the highway. Driving to Hopkinton made me a little uneasy because driving 26.2 miles takes a good amount of time. It is really far!
When the gun went off I ran slowly for a while. I felt great. I had an MP3 player but I did not use it once which I am glad about. The crowd was amazing. The first half of the race was real easy. The second half, eh…not so much. I started getting tired with about 12 miles to go but Wellesley and Boston College were the most fun parts of the race. I never allowed myself to consider the possibility of dropping out so I never doubted myself but it really took a lot out of me to keep running. Finishing was so exciting. I had not wanted to set a goal time for my first marathon but I am more than happy with my time.
The fact that I was able to help FCVN in their mission truly added a whole other level to the experience. I reminded myself multiple times when the going got tough that I was not just running for myself and I am sure that helped push me up the hills to the end. Thank you all at FCVN for granting me this opportunity, I will forever be grateful and would love to help out again in the future.
Sincerely,
Gaston Kelly
