When interior designer Brooke Gomez of New York–based Gomez Associates isn’t busy developing graceful, inviting residences for high-profile clients, there’s a very good chance you’ll find her training in Central Park. For more than a decade, Gomez has been a long-distance runner. On November 4 she’ll race in her 17th marathon, in New York City, with a special objective spurring her on—raising funds for Parkinson’s research through the charitable organization founded by her client Michael J. Fox .
Two years ago, after beginning work on the Carnegie Hill apartment owned by Fox and his wife, actress Tracy Pollan—which will be featured on the cover of the soon-to-be-released December issue of AD —the designer quickly forged personal relationships with both Fox and Pollan. Not only did the couple live in her neighborhood, but Gomez was also deeply inspired by their long-standing dedication to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease. “They’re good people who want to do good things,” she says. “That’s contagious.”
Gomez—who jokes that she’s a “notorious overtrainer,” squeezing extra running miles into a schedule that’s already jam-packed with client meetings and site visits—is no stranger to making her marathons count for something more than just personal achievement. When she began, she ran with Achilles International, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities engage in athletics. “That year I ran with a blind man who didn’t speak a lot of English,” she says of one New York City marathon. “It was such a powerful experience, and so inspiring.”
In later marathons she ran with Team for Kids, an initiative that raises funds to support health and fitness programs for children. But after meeting Fox and Pollan, and learning more about the groundbreaking work being done by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, she joined Team Fox—the organization’s grassroots fundraising group, which has hundreds of members who host and participate in a wide range of community and athletic events. “People who work for them are like extended family, and I very much felt like I became part of that extended family,” says Gomez. “Michael has an incredible team of people—they want to help because he’s just such an inspirational person.”
After completing the ING Miami Marathon with Team Fox this past January, Gomez is gearing up for another blockbuster run in the ING New York City Marathon, and has set her fundraising goal at $20,000 (you can donate here ). More than halfway there at the time of writing, she takes every donation to heart. “Whether it’s $20 or $1,000, my goal is simply to raise as much money as possible,” she says.
When she’s not training, Gomez notes that she’s also helping the Michael J. Fox Foundation put the finishing touches on its new midtown Manhattan office. “I think everybody in New York has a charity that’s near and dear to their heart,” she says. “It’s nice to know that I’ve found mine.”
