Dave McGovern, Neighbor

Dave McGovern is the father of Cavan McGovern, a 13 year old boy who was diagnosed with Kearns-Sayre Syndrom (KSS), a rare form of Mitochondrial Disease. Kearns-Sayre Syndrome (KSS) is a rare, slowly progressive multi-system mitochondrial disease. It is usually caused by a single large deletion (loss) of genetic material within the DNA of the mitochondria (mtDNA), rather than in the DNA of the cell nucleus.

Dave and his wife, Loretta Schuellein-McGovern, started the Cavan McGovern Family Research Fund in 2018 to support the specialized research that is needed to find treatments and a cure for KSS and other mitochondrial diseases.

Dave is America's foremost walking coach and clinician. A 25-year veteran of the US National Racewalk Team with a master's degree in sport science/sports medicine from the United States Sports Academy, Dave has conducted up to 20 clinics and camps per year throughout North America as well as Europe, and South and Equatorial Africa, since 1991. Many of Dave's clinic alumni have lost weight, bounced back from heart disease and diabetes, and completed marathons, while others have won national championships, set age-group world records, and even made Olympic teams!

During his nearly 40-year competitive career Dave won 15 U.S. national championships and walked 20 kilometers (12.4 miles--one of the two Olympic distances for men) in 1:24:29--a 6:48 per-mile pace--which ranks him as the fastest American ever to not make an Olympic team. (Onward to 2024!) Dave represented the US on 20 international teams, including seven World Cup and six Pan Am Cup teams, and he is the only track and field athlete in US history to qualify for nine consecutive US Olympic Trials! Still competing at a high level at the age of 55, Dave won the 2016 USA Track and Field 10-kilometer Racewalk Championship, and placed 9th at the 2020 US Olympic Trials in the 50k racewalk.

As a private coach, Dave has guided 10 athletes all the way to the US Olympic Team Trials, starting with many from their first steps as racewalkers. Dave has also coached the national team of Ghana, West Africa, was the junior coach for the U.S. team at the 2008 World Cup of Race Walking in Cheboksary, Russia, and the Head Coach for Team USA at the 2012 World Cup in Saransk, Russia. For twelve years, Dave was the National Coach for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation's Team Challenge half-marathon fundraising program, and was Head Coach of the Newman's Own Foundation's Team Serious Fun half-marathon team.

Dave was a long-time writer for Walking Magazine and Walk! Magazine, and is the author of The Complete Guide to Competitive Walking, The Complete Guide to Marathon Walking, The Complete Guide to Racewalking Technique and Training and Precision Walking--all while helping to raise four great kids, aged 3 to 12, with his wife, Loretta, herself a two-time US champion.