Mathias Busekist
Crossing the finish line. Together.
When Isabella Zito told her father she wanted to run a marathon this year to support Special Olympics Massachusetts, Jamie Zito didn’t hesitate. For Jamie, who once had his own marathon dreams taken, this was more than a race — it was a chance for healing to begin.
In 2013, Jamie was just one mile from completing his third Boston Marathon when two bombs exploded near the finish line, killing three spectators and injuring over 260 others.
The attack, carried out by two brothers in an act of terrorism, turned the world’s oldest annual marathon into a scene of chaos and heartbreak. Among the spectators that day were Jamie’s wife, Natasha, and their two young daughters, Isabella and Ava, waiting for him at the finish line.
Fortunately, Jamie’s family was safe, though deeply shaken. Now, twelve years later, Isabella — who was just nine years old when she experienced what she calls the worst day of her life — decided she was ready to confront those memories head-on.
Today, Isabella is an intern with the Boston Bruins, working alongside Special Olympics athlete John Dunleavy, and that same passion for inclusion and her commitment to Special Olympics has inspired her father to lace up his running shoes once again. Jamie, who also works for Delaware North, the parent company of the Bruins, shares a strong connection to the Special Olympics community through his professional and personal life.
Together, Isabella and Jamie ran the 2025 Boston Marathon, not only to support a cause close to their hearts but also to reclaim a space marked by trauma.
Their goal? To cross the finish line, hand-in-hand.
“Going the extra mile has always been part of our story,” Jamie said. “This time, it’s about finishing it together — for Special Olympics, for our family, and for the city of Boston.”