Dan Loriaux

Whether he’s completing an Ironman triathlon or a long shift on clinical service, Internal Medicine resident Dan Loriaux, MD, is no stranger to marathons. Even so, this year’s Boston Marathon holds a special place in his heart.

What inspired you to run?
DL: There are so many incredibly dedicated people working to make life better for our patients: those delivering compassionate care in our inpatient units and outpatient clinics, translational researchers searching for innovative solutions to previously unanswerable questions, and fundraising teams working tirelessly to make it all possible. It’s never a matter of what needs to be done to check a box, but rather what can be done to know that we have truly given our best effort. This attitude defines not only the Reny family and the Stepping Strong team but also the larger Brigham community. It is contagious.

In short, I am inspired by the Reny family, those whom I am privileged to work with at the Brigham, the Stepping Strong team — especially our fundraising leaders, Caroline Duncan and Ali Luthman — and, above all, our many patients.

Have your experiences as a resident shaped your perspective on stepping strong’s mission?
DL: I am fortunate to have witnessed firsthand the importance of advancing trauma care and research. Working directly with many patients and families affected by traumatic injuries has allowed me to appreciate the importance of this mission in a way that numbers or words cannot.

How has training been going?
DL: I ran one marathon on a track just to be sure I could do it. This was far more boring than I had anticipated, but I am quite confident in my left turns now. I ran another marathon as part of the final leg of Ironman Canada for a separate fundraising effort that I organized for my younger brother during medical school. Since this came after a 2.4-mile swim and 112-mile bike ride, my brother has not missed any opportunities to remind me that I should swim in the Charles and spend a few hours on the bike before starting the Boston Marathon so that I can “stay sharp” and avoid looking like a total rookie in my first actual marathon. If I am late to the starting line, check the Charles.

What’s been the most rewarding part of this experience?
DL: While training for the marathon, I was fortunate to have several medicine rotations at the VA Boston Healthcare System. I have tremendous respect for our veterans, and I am thankful to have had many opportunities to listen to their stories. Hearing how trauma innovation has impacted the lives of so many veterans has been the most rewarding part of this experience for me. Trauma research has come incredibly far in the past decade, and I am very excited to see what will become possible for our patients and their families in years to come.

Anything else to add?
DL: Please let me take a few sentences to thank my mom! She is perhaps the most inspirational person I know, and she worked tirelessly to help me with my fundraising efforts. As is true of so many things, I would not have been able to do this without her.