Casey Gough: Pain of Preparation or Pain of Defeat
June 23, 2018
A version of this piece originally ran in June 2017. After graduating from Holy Cross in 2008, I knew that I wanted a career path that challenged me, I just had no idea that pathway would take me to Wall Street. Like any young professional, I leaned heavily on graduates from my alma mater for advice. Most of them played competitive football in college like myself. They understood what made me tick, so when they described the competitive atmosphere coupled with a team focused environment… I knew Wall Street was the closest I was going to get to a gridiron experience.
I joined Morgan Stanley in October 2009 as a temporary sales assistant. I had no experience on a trading floor, but what I lacked in experience I made up for in ambition. It didn’t take long for my ambition and drive to open up opportunities. I secured a full-time position early in 2009, where I was thrown in the deep end of Morgan Stanley Fixed Income. A few years into my career, and with the firm’s core values as a guidepost, I decided I wanted to get involved in more formal philanthropic efforts. Since January of 2016, I have held the honor of co-chairing the Fixed Income Philanthropy Committee at MS. This position entails spearheading volunteer events, annual gift giving, and other firm initiatives. While this responsibility has provided me with a great sense of pride, I still felt there was something missing - that I could personally be doing more. Enter The D10.
After signing up in January I had two questions for myself: Who am I competing for? And who I am competing against? The first question is easy, especially considering the work that POETIC does in our communities. It’s hard to find a more worthy cause to raise money and awareness as this research will have direct impact on the future children whose lives might have otherwise been cut short. The second question is a little more difficult, because while this is certainly a charitable event, I can’t seem to suppress that gladiator inside that wants to win. I started poring over last year’s results, and the competitive juices, which had been dormant since my college football days, began to flow again. I had found it nearly impossible to replicate the same Game Day excitement I used to feel before every single game. However, since signing up for The D10 I have found a renewed sense of enthusiasm, which has been emboldened further by the generosity of my colleagues, classmates, friends, and family who have donated to this cause.
“Pain of preparation or pain of defeat” was the motto my college head coach, Tom Gilmore, drilled into the team every day. Those words take on a new meaning now as a father, husband, professional, and student preparing for The D10. This is my Super Bowl, and I am happy to endure the pain required to win.
2018 Update:
At The D10 NYC 2018, Casey nearly doubled his 2017 fundraising, finishing above $13,000. He cut 8 seconds off his 800 Meter time and 5 seconds off his 500m Row, en route to securing a top 10 overall finish. Not content to wait a year, Casey has already registered for his hometown D10 in Chicago, on August 11, 2018. Feed him some motivation by making a performance-based donation here.