Mike Palmer
Mike Palmer is 30 years old and on the autism spectrum. He grew up in Hopkinton, Massachusetts and fell in love with the Boston Marathon. Living in Hopkinton about 1.5 miles from the start line, Mike could be seen cheering runners on as they started their 26.2 mile journey into Boston. He would be seen running home after the marathon and was often teased that he was going the wrong way. In 2018, he became serious about running and set his goal on running in the infamous Boston Marathon. In 2019, his dream of running the marathon came true and he was hooked on the sport. Mike added a second marathon to his list later that same year.) In 2020, he ran two marathons within a month from each other, the Virtual Boston Marathon and the Virtual Marine Corps Marathon. Then, in 2022, Mike returned again to run in Boston. In addition to running the Boston Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon, Mike has represented the Flutie foundation at the Disney Half Marathon, New York Marathon and the Berlin, Germany Marathon.
Mike is currently working for the State of Massachusetts as a service clerk for Mass Health. In addition to working for Mass Health, Mike speaks as a self-advocate for those who have Autism. He believes that everyone who has Autism should be treated fairly and given the same opportunities for success as those who don’t have Autism. He has shared his stories with many organizations including Footlocker and Unum. In addition to sitting on the board for the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation, Mike had the privilege of being the captain of Dougie’s Boston Marathon team for several years. To date, he has represented the foundation in many marathons, completing 9 so far, including three in a span of 6 months.