This fall, Maddy Galindo will do something she’s never done before: run a full marathon. And not just any marathon—the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon, one of the biggest and most iconic races in the world. But for Maddy, the race is far more than a physical milestone. It’s a tribute. Every mile through the five boroughs is for her father, Gary, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in June 2024.
To support Maddy’s fundraising efforts, click here.
From Marathon Plans to Pregnancy
Born and raised in the Bay Area, California, Maddy has always been a “busy body” who loves new challenges. “I truly am a couch-to-marathon person,” she says with a laugh. She was a varsity swimmer growing up, admitting that she “was never a land sport person.”
After attending the University of Utah and living in Seattle for a brief period, she moved to the Bay Area to be near family. She now lives there with her husband, their dog Duck, and their son Callum, who will be 13 months old by marathon day.
Running was never a part of her life until recently. “I’m always looking for new ways to challenge myself, and I’ve always wanted to run a marathon,” she shares. When her dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April 2023, she was determined to achieve that goal and run.
For Maddy, there was only one race that made sense: the New York City Marathon. “My dad was a larger-than-life person, and he raised a larger-than-life child. I knew if I was going to do a marathon, I wanted to do the marathon,” she says. “I have friends in New York who say it’s their favorite weekend of the year, just for the energy, the spirit, and the way the whole city comes out for it. I knew I had to be a part of it, one way or another.”
The longest she’d run before was a 10k—one she ran on a whim without training and “couldn’t walk for three days afterward.” But that didn’t deter her. However, by the time she found out about her dad’s diagnosis, she had missed the registration deadline for the 2023 NYC Marathon. So, she was dead-set on running it the following year.
When Maddy shared her plan to run the 2024 NYC Marathon in his honor, her dad lit up, promising he’d be in the Big Apple to cheer her on. But life had other plans in store; soon after, Maddy discovered she was pregnant with her first child in January 2024. And, when she told her dad in February, he laughed when saying, “I don’t think you’re running that marathon this year,” a reality she agreed with him on. So, the plan was to run next year, the 2025 NYC Marathon.
Coach, Father, Friend: The Indescribable Gary
Gary was a larger-than-life figure—a devoted husband, father, coach, and friend whose energy and kindness touched everyone around him. Maddy remembers him not just as her dad, but as a man deeply woven into the fabric of the community. “My dad was so beloved. The word ‘beloved’ is really if I could sum him up in one word,” she reflects.
At his memorial, over 500 people filled the room, with more than 150 standing in the back due to how full the room was with Gary’s loved ones. “We were just so incredibly overwhelmed by how many people just adored him.” His popularity was not accidental; Gary had a unique gift of making everyone feel seen and valued. “He wasn’t the type of person that made everything about him—he made everything about everyone else,” Maddy shares. “He had a way of making everyone feel like they were his favorite person.”
In April 2023, Gary was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a devastating and aggressive disease. “It was an incredibly difficult, emotional thing, but he fought incredibly hard and was such a warrior,” Maddy recounts. He underwent the Whipple procedure that December and was declared cancer-free afterward.
Sadly, the cancer returned by the end of March 2024, and Gary passed away just a few months later in June. Throughout those final months, running the New York City marathon was a frequent topic between Maddy and her dad. “Until he was terminal, he was really determined to be there in New York. It was one of his favorite places in the world,” Maddy says.
As a varsity high school football coach, Gary went beyond the game, taking a genuine interest in his players’ lives—their academic dreams, athletic ambitions, and personal struggles alike. He supported not only his own children but also their friends, attending sporting events, theater performances, and every accomplishment that mattered to them. “If there’s one thing my dad did, he showed up,” Maddy remembers. “He just got his energy by celebrating people through their accomplishments and through encouraging others.”
Though he never got to meet his first grandchild—Maddy’s son was to be his first—he had already chosen the grandfather nickname “Coach,” a fitting tribute to the mentor he was throughout his life. “He was a coach through and through,” Maddy says.
Reflecting on his legacy, Maddy struggles to find words that capture his essence: “Words don’t do it justice. I feel like the word ‘indescribable’ should be reserved exclusively for grief because, truly, everything else in the human experience can be described. But if there was another thing that’s indescribable, it would be my dad.”
Finding Purpose: Project Purple, Training, and New Motherhood
Running is still new territory for Maddy. “I thought the most challenging part would be the physical portion, but it definitely is the mental aspect of it,” she admits. “I am enjoying learning what my body can do. I didn’t think it would be so easy to get up and run. When I started, it just seemed impossible that I would be here. But that mental piece—that’s the critical part.”
Music plays a huge role in keeping her motivated. “I’m a huge believer in having a really good playlist,” she shares. “If even one song comes on that I don’t agree with, it slows me down instantly. So I’m constantly curating, constantly getting recommendations.”
She inherited a love for music from her dad. At his memorial service, the program’s centerfold featured a playlist of songs he loved, and many of those tracks now accompany Maddy on her runs. “One of my dad’s favorite songs was ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ by Kid Cudi, the Steve Aoki remix. I swear, if I just played that on repeat, I could run the entire marathon to it,” she laughs.
Since she’s not naturally a runner, Maddy knew her marathon adventure needed to have a deeper purpose. “The goal had to be bigger than me,” she shares. After finding out about her father’s diagnosis, she Googled ‘pancreatic cancer charities’ and found Project Purple. She shares that she picked the organization due to its community feel, and the fact that “it seemed like an opportunity to be part of something bigger while raising money for a tough cause.”
Training hasn’t been easy, especially as a new mom. Maddy admits she sometimes feels guilty taking time for herself to train, but she knows it’s something she needs to do. “My husband has been a huge support, always encouraging me to get out of my head and not feel guilty—to do this for myself.” Her advice to other new moms is simple but powerful: rely on your support system and push past the mom guilt. “When I remain an individual and have things that I work on to make myself a better person, I believe that I’m a better mom because of it.”
Reflecting on her dad, Maddy says, “He was such a coach—not just a football coach, but a life coach and mentor. It is fascinating doing something that is so goal-oriented without him being there. So I do try and channel my dad quite a bit through this because this was kind of what he did. And I have to try to interpret what he would say, since he’s not there to say it.”
Maddy’s fundraising efforts have also soared. She’s raised over $21,000 for Project Purple, surpassing her original goal. “The support has been unbelievable,” she says. “I feel like my jaw hit the floor and hasn’t come up since.” Maddy truly feels that this incredible accomplishment speaks to how loved her dad was. She remembers when he was sick, people in the community felt helpless, not knowing how to support her and her family.
However, this opportunity presents the perfect way for friends, family, and others to do so. “Having something they can rally behind, donate to, and take action on has been healing. It gives them a way to help and be part of something positive,” Maddy shares. “The people who’ve donated and reached out are so excited to follow this journey with me. They tell me how much they loved my dad. Doing this for him, in a small way, I feel like I’m doing it for others, too.”
Carrying Her Dad’s Spirit Through the Five Boroughs and Beyond
As race day approaches, Maddy envisions the marathon as much more than a physical challenge—it will be a rare moment of quiet in her otherwise busy life. Between motherhood, her podcast, and countless daily responsibilities, she rarely finds space for her thoughts to settle. “It feels like it’s going to be a meditative experience,” she says. “Just me and the city of New York, running together. That will be all that matters.”
Pancreatic cancer, the disease that took her father, carries with it a heavy shadow of fear. “This disease absolutely sucks,” Maddy says with blunt honesty. Yet, throughout his illness, her father’s attitude remained unshaken. “He always said, ‘It’s all about attitude,’” she recalls. His strength in the face of such darkness inspires her every step. Despite the harsh reality of this disease, Maddy holds onto hope: “I hope that one day, when someone says ‘pancreatic cancer,’ people won’t respond by cringing.”
That outlook, paired with advice from her husband to “eat the elephant one spoonful at a time,” helped Maddy navigate the overwhelming challenges. When it comes to grief, she has discovered that moving her body is essential to healing. “I think that getting outside and physically moving, whether it’s a walk or a run or yoga—you have to move your body in order to heal.”
Above all, Maddy carries her father’s legacy with immense love and gratitude. “I just don’t think words will ever be enough to describe how incredible of a person he was,” she says. “Doing this marathon is just a teeny-tiny way to represent how big of an impact he did make. So while words will not do it justice, this is the beginning of a lifelong journey to figure out how to explain the impact that he did make.”
To support Maddy’s run in honor of her dad and to help raise awareness for pancreatic cancer, donate to her fundraising page here.
If you’d like to run or participate in an event of your own for Project Purple, visit our events page.
