Carla Trodella Memorial Scholarship Fund

My name is Marci Gelinas and I am establishing the The Carla Trodella Memorial Scholarship Fund to honor the memory and warrior spirit of my dear sister, Carla.

Since the day she was born, Carla has been an inspiration to everyone around her- especially me and our parents, Tom and Marilyn Trodella. She is, and always has been, our hero. Many of you know Carla has finished the Boston Marathon as a wheelchair athlete, but her journey did not start with conquering marathons…

Born with Spina Bifida, Carla fought to walk, compete and do anything others could do each and every day of her life, with never a complaint or “why me”. Little did she know, she would go on to do more than most. Carla always found a way to participate and never be left out in anything she did, whether playing t-ball, catch or riding bikes. At Everett High School, Carla spread her wings and pursued new interests in sports, managing the varsity softball team and swimming on the varsity swim team. Carla was even featured as a High Five recipient on WCVB for her resilience and tenacity as a swimmer. She worked incredibly hard to graduate and go on to attend Regis College. At Regis, she continued to swim while she completed her bachelor of science degree. College did not come without some health hurdles of its own, but Carla was steadfast as always and saw it through to graduation.

After college, Carla began working and living independently and that is when she found her true love of wheelchair racing. She trained religiously, lifted weights and practiced daily. She participated successfully in many local 5K and 10K races, sometimes being the first wheelchair racer to ever attempt and finish the race course.

Carla completed and won the Boston Marathon Medley twice, consisting of her combined times from the Boston Half Marathon, 5K and 10K, all to prepare her for the big event- the Boston Marathon.

I am establishing this fund in honor of Carla to keep her memory and spirit alive for many years to come, not just for my own children and future grandchildren, but for anyone that can draw strength and benefit from knowing Carla’s story. Her story is one that everyone should know and keep close to their heart.

All gifts donated to the scholarship fund, whether by check deposit, mailed in donations to Marci, her sister and executer of the fund, or by this GoFundMe page, will be exclusively used to build the scholarship. Starting in Spring 2024, a local high school senior athlete, who is seeking to further their education at a 4 or 2 year college, accredited post-graduate program or trade school and who has overcome an immense challenge can apply for this scholarship. All money raised will go directly towards a yearly $500 scholarship award for the winner. If we exceed the $10,000 goal, all funds raised will go to future scholarship awards. Our hope to keep this scholarship alive for many years to come, run by myself, then my children and so forth. We want to help a student with Carla’s brand of perseverance meet their educational goals all while keeping Carla’s legacy, spirit and memory alive.