Conor Sayles, shown leading the Hopkinton Fire Department team onto the court during last month’s Battle of the Badges Dodgeball Tournament, is running the Boston Marathon for the Michael Lisnow Respite Center. PHOTO/JOHN CARDILLO

From the start of his career a decade ago, Conor Sayles has had two passions: being a firefighter and giving back to his community through volunteer service. As a Hopkinton Fire Department firefighter and paramedic, he has combined these elements by volunteering for the Michael Lisnow Respite Center and running on its behalf in the Boston Marathon.

“I started to get to know the individuals at the Respite Center when they would come to visit the Hopkinton Fire Department,” Sayles said. “Then I started volunteering there in October and became really inspired. I try to volunteer there one or two days a week.”

The Michael Lisnow Respite Center has provided physical and emotional support for children and adults with disabilities and their families for 26 years, according to its website. The nonprofit serves hundreds of families with the help of private donations.

Sayles has a personal understanding of the challenges people with disabilities face through his experiences with family members. His grandmother died from Alzheimer’s disease, while his nephew in Virginia, named Balian, is on the autism spectrum.

“When I am out training, I say to myself, ‘Do it for Balian. Do it for Nana,’ ” he said. “I get really emotional thinking about all the reasons I do it.”

The three-year HFD firefighter explained that the friendships he has developed at the Respite Center have enriched his life. When he was asked by a worker to run on the nonprofit’s behalf, Sayles couldn’t refuse, and he set an ambitious goal of $15,000 (givengain.com/project/conor-raising-funds-for-michael-lisnow-respite-center-88439).

“It’s been truly life-changing getting to know the clients and the people who work there,” he said. “It’s really an amazing place, so anything I can do to help out, I’m all in.”

That includes running, a sport Sayles admittedly detests.

“I hate running with a passion,” he said. “That would be an understatement. I’ve always been an athlete, but running for a long period of time wasn’t fun for me.”

His experience at the Respite Center changed his perspective.

“I have the opportunity to run for them,” Sayles said. “Sometimes we take the ability to run and to use our legs for granted. So I think I can suck it up running in the marathon.

“My mantra has become ‘Do it for those who can’t,’ ” he stressed. “The joy I have seen in Balian is the same joy I experience at the Michael Lisnow Respite Center.”

Sayles explained that the friendships he has developed at the Respite Center have enriched his life. Proceeds from his marathon run will sponsor tuition for its clients.

“The whole journey and the whole process have been such a blessing,” he shared. “I’m not only improving my cardiovascular health, but also just the connections I’ve made and the people I’ve met have touched my heart.”

Career aspirations develop early

A Hopedale native, Sayles knew from an early age that he wanted to become a firefighter. He grew up watching the hit television show “Rescue Me,” where Denis Leary played a troubled firefighter. Later, Sayles combined firefighting and public service as a volunteer firefighter for his hometown.

Said Sayles: “I’ve always looked up to firefighters, ever since I was a little kid.”

“After volunteering with the Hopedale Fire Department, I knew I wanted to do this full-time,” he continued. “I came to Hopkinton because I wanted to grow more and go to a busier department. Hopedale is a wonderful place, but I guess in my youth I wanted more call volume.”

Leary inspired Sayles not only through his portrayal of firefighters but also because of his efforts to support them.

“[Leary’s] childhood friend and his cousin were part of the Worcester Six,” said Sayles, referring to the six firefighters who perished while battling a blaze in a Worcester warehouse in 1999.

Community support paramount

Sayles recently organized the Battle of the Badges Dodgeball Tournament in Hopkinton on March 22, a friendly competition between the town’s police and fire departments. Twenty-two teams competed, with all of the proceeds going to the Respite Center.

“This is the first one, so I’m looking to make this a big thing,” he said. “I just brainstormed with the Respite Center about a charity event we could do together.”

His mother, Ruth Pointer, sang the national anthem at the tournament. She is the last surviving member of the Pointer Sisters, and iconic pop and soul music group popular in the 1980s.

The Respite Center also has given back to Sayles, providing him with a marathon trainer for 16 weeks. Sayles has run consistently at least three times a week, increasing the distance each week.

Sayles said he finds the pace of running relaxing, in contrast to firefighting, which he described as “controlled chaos.”

“I always say that I have the best job in the world,” he said. “For me personally, I love helping people. The calls fluctuate from big to small. But my mindset is that any call we get, that could be the worst day of someone’s life.”

Sayles said he is “overwhelmed” by the support he has received from the community and his colleagues in HFD and HPD. He is especially grateful for the encouragement of the clients and staff at the Respite Center.

“I get so moved when the clients come up to me to thank me for running for them,” he said. “My response is always, ‘No. Thank you!’ ”

Sayles hopes to continue volunteering and making a difference in Hopkinton.

“If my story can inspire at least one person, then I’m OK with that,” he said, beaming. “I can go to bed with a smile on my face.”

He added: “If I could send a message out to everyone, it would be: Try to make the world a better place, just do it for those who can’t, and really appreciate what you have in life.”