Kim Tucker Tremblay will run the Boston Marathon for the Hopkinton Emergency Fund.

Kim Tucker Tremblay has two longtime passions — helping others and running. She blends them now by running the Boston Marathon in support of the Hopkinton Emergency Fund.

“I’ve always been into running,” she said. “I ran for the cross country team in high school, but I never considered myself a competitive runner.

“If I’m being 100% honest, I knew I wasn’t going to qualify for the marathon,” Tucker Tremblay added. “Being in Hopkinton and learning about the different local organizations, I was thinking of how I can be more a part of Hopkinton.”

The Hopkinton Emergency Fund (HEF) has provided nearly $100,000 in grants over the past five years to families who need short-term financial assistance to meet their basic needs during times of crisis, she noted.

Tucker Tremblay reached out to the nonprofit seeking a charity bib. She wanted to run on its behalf in recognition of how fortunate she and others in Hopkinton are to have support systems during emergencies, and she set a target goal of $9,000 (givengain.com/project/kimberly-raising-funds-for-hopkinton-emergency-fund-115063).

“Hopkinton is known to be a well-off town,” she said “The Hopkinton Emergency Fund made me realize that even who people who seem like they have it all together still run into situations where they need support because they don’t have it.

“My husband and I are very fortunate to have parents and siblings who live close by,” continued Tucker Tremblay. “I realized how important this organization is because if we didn’t have that support, what would that have looked like?”

Tucker Tremblay and her husband moved to Hopkinton more than three years ago to start a family. Their daughter, Callie, is 1 1/2 years old. One reason why Tucker Tremblay is running this marathon is to set a positive example for her daughter.

“I know she won’t remember much of it this time,” she said, “but she does get really excited. I want to show her that you can push yourself to do hard things and that you can do anything you say you can do.”

Running inspires connections

Tucker Tremblay, a forensic psychologist, has worked with the state’s criminal justice system performing forensic evaluations for more than four years. A native of New York’s Long Island, she moved to Boston in 2016 after completing her master’s degree in clinical psychology.  She later earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from William James College in Newton.

To connect with others in the area, she joined a local running group called Boston Run & Chug.

“We’d meet every Wednesday at a different bar or brewery, go for a run and come back to all hang out,” she said. “The nice thing about the running group was that we were all transplants. We were all looking to meet new people, and we all had similar interests. Even though all of us have moved out of Boston, we’ve remained good friends.”

Members inspired her to run her first marathon in 2018. It became a goal on her “bucket list.”

“I was just under 30 years old,” she recalled. “Looking back, I was in my prime. I had done a bunch of half-marathons. I lived in South Boston, so I would run into the city and then circle back.”

That marathon, held in Martha’s Vineyard, was a bit of a letdown, Tucker Tremblay admitted.

“It was one of the first years that they did it, so it wasn’t a big race,” she explained. “There weren’t a lot of spectators.”

After that, Tucker Tremblay ran a marathon in Richmond, Virginia.

“This is what the hype of running a marathon is all about,” she shared. “I was feeling really good and had support all along the way from complete strangers.”

Tucker Tremblay discovered a support network of female runners in town via Hopkinton’s Moms Run This Town Facebook page.

“They are just a group of the most inspiring women,” she shared, adding: “This time around, things were a little bit different for me because it was my first marathon post-partum.”

She decided to run this year when group members complimented her on her running.

“I felt like I had one more left in me, and this is a good time in my life,” explained Tucker Tremblay. “But we’ll see if this is actually my last one.”

‘Important to show woman empowerment’

Tucker Tremblay said the Hopkinton Emergency Fund (hopkintonemergencyfund.org) is an important community resource that she hopes will gain more exposure.

“Being in the mental health field, I am very well aware of how quickly you can go from having what feels like everything and then having it taken away from under your feet,” she explained.

Tucker Tremblay noted that many people in town are relative newcomers. Others may not have family support. Since the pandemic, she said, people have told her they no longer know their neighbors.

Both the HEF and the women’s running group have inspired Tucker Tremblay and strengthened her community bond.

“This effort brings that camaraderie back,” she said. “We’re here for each other, we support each other, and we’re all neighbors.

By sharing her story and information about the HEF, Tucker Tremblay hopes to raise awareness of and donations to the nonprofit.

“Plus people from out of town can see what the Hopkinton Emergency Fund’s mission is and maybe start something similar in their communities,” she added.

Balancing a full-time job, raising a young daughter, fundraising and sticking to a training schedule despite the harsh winter “hasn’t been easy,” according to Tucker Tremblay.

“It is like a second job,” she said. “But this is something that I’m doing for myself. Working through the grit is the biggest piece, and It’s very rewarding.”

The women’s running group has demonstrated the importance of mentorship, she added.

“Now more than ever, it’s important to show woman empowerment,” she stressed. “I think that’s what the whole Hopkinton moms running group is about. It’s electric to see the support going between those who are just starting out and others who run at super-fast paces.”

She added that, while she enjoys running alone, she can always find women to join her by posting in the group.

Tucker Tremblay also hoped her run would inspire others to pursue their personal goals enthusiastically.

“When I get excited or passionate about something, I can’t hide it,” she said. “I know what my why is for running this marathon, and to get someone else to feel it also is awesome.”