Margo Cianchetta will run the Marine Corps Marathon in Alexandria, Virginia on Sunday with an angel on her shoulder – her beloved uncle, Anthony “Tony” Medoro.
Medoro, a Marine Corps veteran, passed away from glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, on Nov. 10, 2023.
“He not only fought glioblastoma, but he was only 58,” said Cianchetta. “It was such a tragedy for our family.”
The fact that Medoro died on Nov. 10, the Marine Corps birthday, is not lost on his niece.
“It was very fitting because he wanted to be a Marine,” she said, adding that her uncle also had a sense of humor.
“He has a USMC tattoo on his arm,” she said. “When we were younger we would say `Uncle Tony, what does tattoo mean?’ He would laugh and say it stands for United States Mickey Mouse Club.”
Medoro followed in his brother’s footsteps and joined the Marine Corps after graduating high school.
“My Uncle Tony is the youngest of eight kids,” Cianchetta said. “There’s about a 10-year gap in age between them. My father joined in 1975 and my uncle joined in 1985, following in his older brother's footsteps.”
Medoro served in the Marine Corps for three years and began his walk with God as a result of his service, she said.
“A Navy chaplain came and talked to him and that’s where he found the Lord,” she said. “From his being in the Marine Corps to the day he died, he’s very religious and very giving back.”
In turn, Medoro’s son followed his father’s footsteps and served in the Corps for four years.
To honor Medro’s legacy, Cianchetta is establishing the Sergeant Anthony Medoro USMC Memorial Scholarship with the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation . The Medoro Scholarship will provide scholarships to children of Marines pursuing higher education. Cianchetta’s goal is to raise $10,000, with all donations going directly to the scholarship fund.
“I feel very blessed in my life to be able to do something like a marathon,” she said. “God has given me the ability to be able to day-in and day-out and be able to run all the miles you need to log and to train, to be physically, mentally and emotionally fit to be able to do something like this.”
Cianchetta is a MCSF staff member and and MCSF alumna.
“One of the things we do best is to help families continue the legacy of their Marines,” she said. “By establishing this scholarship in my uncle’s name, we are going to be able to support the Marines and their families.”
Cianchetta ran her first marathon in 2011. Sunday’s race will be her 27th marathon and fifth technical Marine Corps Marathon. She participated in the virtual Marine Corps Marathon during the 2020 pandemic but does not count it.
“Running a marathon is my way of giving back to the sport I love so much but also to raise awareness for different causes,” she said.
Cianchetta said for most people, running is a form of punishment.
“As the daughter of a sergeant major, you’re taught to never quit,” she said. “There’s no more sense of pride for me than when I’m running for miles and miles.”
Cianchetta will also be wearing Madoro’s favorite Bible verse from Psalm 23 during Sunday’s race. She said her family has been overwhelmed by the support her fundraising effort has received thus far.
“One of the truest forms I’ve seen of Semper Fidelis is Marines I don’t even know have been donating to my fundraising,” she said.
To donate to Cianchetta’s cause, visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com .
Local News
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