Brandon Felice: A Plan, A Purpose, A Mission
April 29, 2019
The D10 Athlete Profile explores what brings competitors to The D10 playing field...and what they bring away from it. Brandon Felice
Director, Structured Credit Solutions Group, Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc
The D10 NYC
Fundraising goal: Individual (7K), Team Nicole's Army (15K)
2019 Marquee event: 400M (2019 Goal: 1:04)
What is your primary motivator for competing in The D10 events?
The relentless pursuit of a cure. Fifteen years ago I lost my father to a rare form of kidney cancer for which there were no treatment options. During my father’s final year, I developed a severe staph infection from my third knee reconstruction surgery. That resulted in five months bed rest by my dad’s side with daily IV medication and six total knee surgeries.
“You’re lucky you did not lose your leg, but your physical activity will be severely limited going forward,” I was told. Competing in anything like The D10 was but a dream -- a dream that turned into a challenge.
I firmly believe with a well thought-out plan and a relentless mindset, anything can be achieved. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center exemplifies this, leading groundbreaking research with results that include putting stage 4 pediatric cancer patients into remission and developing treatment options for the kidney cancer that took my father's life.
The battle may be long and hard, but with your help, we will get one step closer to a cure.
How much of your motivation for participating in The D10 stems from its charitable mission?
One-hundred percent. I compete for many people: for my dad, for my Uncle Jeff and Grandma Bobbi, and the far too-many-to-list friends who have been taken by, or are currently battling through, cancer. Also because I was told I can’t. As a father, I hold out hope that one day my daughter will live in a world that is prepared to fight and consistently win the battle against cancer.
How did you first get involved in The D10?
The captain of our team started with The D10 two years ago and asked me to join him. I think we are lifers now – or at least will try to be.
No pain, no gain. Brandon Felice leaves it all out on The D10 field.
How has The D10 been different from your collegiate or high school sports experiences in terms of training and motivation?
Life is much more chaotic today with many more variables to manage. For me, training in college was focused on collegiate powerlifting and then football-specific training for the Fall season. The D10 has a dynamic set of events. It’s challenging to progress in each of the ten elements, particularly when juggling work, family, training volumes, and injuries.
In what ways has your participation in The D10 affected or enhanced your performance at work?
Training and competing for The D10 certainly adds a focus, confidence and humility to your day-to-day. The more you push yourself to focus on balance, the more the adversity and chaos around you seems to slow down.
Have you made new lasting friendships, or strengthened your professional network, as a result of your D10 experience?
Absolutely. The D10 community has some exceptional people from all industries and backgrounds. Everyone is competitive but team-oriented and positive; it's a really contagious environment.
Fundraising for cancer research is very personal for Brandon. Help Brandon and his team reach their 2019 charity goal in support of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.