Colin Read Shares Story About Dedication to Education and Pushing Body to the Limit

Law school and training for marathons/ironman races are two things that consume most of DuBois, Pennsylvania native, Colin Read’s, time. Similar to his days as a DuBois Beaver on the baseball diamond and the football field, Read’s intense academic endeavors have always been balanced out with sports.

(Photos submitted)

Varsity sports may be in the past for Read, but the lessons he learned and the adversity he overcame during his high school days are attributes he carries with him to this day.

“I’m very thankful for being from DuBois,” said Read. “Growing up playing baseball and football, the sports were competitive and taught me to work hard for what I wanted to accomplish.”

Read eventually set the PIAA state record in receiving yards in a game as he collected nine receptions for 355 yards and three touchdowns in a 107-90 game against Meadville that made national headlines and set various state and national records for a high school football game.

This was one of the highest points in Read’s athletic journey as he eventually suffered a severe leg injury, a broken femur and torn ACL, that cost him the rest of his junior year and much of his senior year. However, he got back on the field as a holder for field goals, and eventually, as a receiver for the final two games of the season. 

A full circle moment as a football player came as he had a touchdown grab against Johnstown after fighting through two leg surgeries, time in a wheelchair, and missing many of his last games as a member of a football team.

“The people around me on my teams, at school, and my family helped me stay on track and get through my struggles. Catching that (touchdown) pass helped put me at peace that I overcame my struggles and did what I had to do to get back and contribute to the team. I think I cried in Coach Chuck Pasternak’s arms on the sideline.”

Aside from football, Read was a part of a state championship baseball team in 2013 as a Junior Little Leaguer. However, once varsity sports were gone, he needed another way to remain active and strive towards something in an athletic capacity. Through his therapy from the leg injury, he found running.

“When I accepted I was no longer competing in team sports when I went to Penn State as a freshman, I signed up for the 2018 Pittsburgh Marathon. I needed something that I could work towards and push myself to accomplish. I came to really enjoy running and working out. I organized a small fundraising event for the Folds of Honor Foundation and ran the marathon in May. I ended up taking 95th overall and won my under 20 age group.”

Since 2018, Read has expanded to compete in eight more marathons, an ironman race in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and an ultramarathon on Bald Head Island in North Carolina that he completed in March 2022.

The ultramarathon was 51 total miles, with roughly 12 miles on pavement and 39 miles along the beach. Read finished the race and took 14th overall. Now, his next goal is to run a 100 mile ultramarathon in June that will take place in Kentucky. Read said this about why he feels called to these extreme races.

“I enjoy doing these difficult races and competitions because of the confidence it gives me. I don’t really care about winning, I’d be happy taking last too. It’s more of a competition with myself. I need to see myself be the best that I can be. I’m a pretty insecure person, so seeing myself accomplish these difficult things instills a feeling of conquering something and overcoming adversity. Being fit and healthy is something I enjoy.

While training takes up a good amount of time, most of the rest of his time is spent studying at Charleston School of Law in Charleston, South Carolina. While the law and competing in running do not seem to intersect, they do in that they take a great deal of time and dedication. To prepare for trial and to do research, it takes days, months, and sometimes years of preparation. In running, it takes many hours to condition someone’s body to withstand the long distance they are about to embark on in ironman and ultra marathons.

Prior to Charleston, Read finished four years at Penn State University, where he studied political science and philosophy with a minor in business. Penn State for him was always a dream school as he is the third sibling in his family to graduate from there and also followed in his grandfather’s footsteps in a way by falling in love with running in his time at Penn State. His grandfather was a member of the Nittany Lions track and field team and is a member of the graduating class of 1954.

While he is unsure exactly what he wants to do with his law degree, he is excited to be joining McQuaide Blasko for the summer of 2022. This is his second stint with the company, with his first stint taking place in State College and this stint coming at the Hollidaysburg office. His duties will include deeds and estates, contract law, real estate, and family law. After he completes his studies, he is hopeful of returning to Central Pennsylvania to practice to be closer to family. 

Colin Read’s athletic career has provided him with some record-breaking moments and some of the lowest times of his young life. His time as a varsity athlete introduced him to some of his greatest friends, while competing as a runner now has helped to instill more confidence in himself. He’s become an alumnus of a university that his family has strong ties to, while also venturing off to make his own mark at Charleston School of Law. His future is filled with so much promise and he will continue to set new benchmarks for himself in running and one day serve the region that has supported him through every step in his journey.