East Washington man and dog save each other
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Dave Kucherawy and his dog, Raleigh, at the Chartiers-Houston track April 5
Dave Kucherawy won the All American Masters Track and Field award in 2017.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Dave Kucherawy of Washington, shown at the Chartiers-Houston track recently, holds a few of the medals he has won.
Dave Kucherawy runs during a workout at the Chartiers-Houston track in early April.
David Kucherawy, an All-American Masters runner, likes to say he and his dog, Raleigh, saved each other.
Kucherawy, 65, of East Washington, rescued the 14-year-old cocker spaniel from an animal shelter in Warren County when he was a severely malnourished young dog.
About 18 months later, Raleigh returned the favor.
In 2008, while walking Raleigh, Kucherawy dropped to a knee after experiencing severe chest pain.
For about a month, Kucherawy had felt pain when he and Raleigh took their daily walk, but he passed it off as muscle pain or indigestion.
At the hospital, though, a battery of tests showed Kucherawy had a 99 percent blockage of the left anterior descending coronary artery – called the widowmaker – which prevented the front wall of the heart from getting any blood or oxygen. He could have had a massive heart attack at any time.
At UPMC-Shadyside hospital, Pittsburgh, doctors inserted a stent to keep the artery open.
“I always think, ‘We’re even, buddy,'” said Kucherawy about Raleigh. “I took care of him and he took care of me.”
After his stent procedure, Kucherawy’s physician recommended he exercise and switch to a healthy diet.
Kucherawy, former chief executive officer of Warren State Hospital, played football and tennis in high school. But after he graduated from California University of Pennsylvania, he developed a sedentary lifestyle and gained weight.
So, he eliminated processed foods and caffeine, ate more fruits and vegetables, and started to walk and jog.
“I just started to feel like walking in slow motion, so I picked up the pace a little bit,” said Kucherawy.
It turned out, he picked up his pace a lot.
Kucherawy participated in local senior track and field events, began winning, and decided to try his luck at the Pennsylvania Senior Games.
“I was successful there, so I said I’ll try the national games,” said Kucherawy.
He has competed, with impressive results, in multiple events at USATF National Masters championships.
In March, Kucherawy and his teammates with the Philadelphia Masters Track & Field Club claimed a gold medal in the 4×200 relay at the National Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships in Landover, Md.
The relay team also earned a silver medal in the 4×100 relay in 2017, and Kucherawy won a bronze medal in the 400-meter dash, both at the National Senior Games in Birmingham, Ala.
He also earned All-America status in three events in the 2017 National Masters Outdoor Championships.
“I get great enjoyment and an adrenaline rush at the meets,” said Kucherawy. “It’s the excitement of the competition that I look forward to. I train a lot, and on days when I don’t feel like training, I tell myself that somewhere, someone in the United States is out there training so I’d better get out there.”
Kucherawy lost about 35 pounds after his health scare, and he’s managed to keep it off for nearly a decade.
He is preparing to compete in three events at the Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania this Thursday through Saturday.
Kucherawy and Raleigh still head out each morning for their walk – even though Raleigh has slowed down considerably.
“He’s getting up there, age-wise, but we don’t miss our walks. We actually get out four times a day,” said Kucherawy. “If we hadn’t taken those walks when I experienced that pain, I wouldn’t have realized I had a blockage. I do think about that. I’m very grateful for how events turned out, and that I’m able to compete.”