JOHN RICHARDSON RE/MAX Unlimited rising star By Jennifer Watson
Amby Burfoot, winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:22.17, said, “Running has taught me, perhaps more than anything else, that there’s no reason to fear starting lines…or other new beginnings.”
John is one of less than 1,600 people to ever run a mile in less than 4 minutes.
For John Richardson, a former collegiate track and field athlete at the University of Kentucky and current RE/MAX Unlimited REALTOR®, Burfoot’s sentiment has proven true in his own life over the last two years as he and his family have settled into North Florida living — their very own “new beginning,” 30 years sooner than he would have predicted. But let’s start at the beginning of this race. THE STARTING LINE
John and Andrea have two daughters, Reese and Rory.
John grew up in Ocean City, NJ, where he spent his developmental years as a self-described “beach bum.” He graduated from Ocean City High School, where he was a dominant force on the school’s track and field team, winning the New Jersey State Championship in both the 800- and 1,600-meter races in 2003. Along with several other impressive performances as a high school runner, John was able to secure himself a ticket to the University of Kentucky, where he ran as a Wildcat while earning his bachelor’s degree in Psychology. His name still graces several of the university’s “men’s all-time performers” lists, most notably with his 2008 mile run time of 3:59.35.
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John went on to earn a master’s degree in health administration and worked for the largest health system in Kentucky for 12 years, where he held the position of executive director of physician recruitment and business development. “For a long time, I thought I would retire in the C-Suite of a large health system,” John says. “I @realproducers
enjoyed health care, but I think I am ultimately more cut out for the entrepreneurial world.”
At this juncture, John’s mom, a REALTOR®, suggested he get his real estate license.
KEEPING THE PACE
“I was initially a little reluctant, but then I thought about what I love doing,” John says. “Number one is serving people. Number two is solving problems. Real estate is a lot of both!”
While living their day-to-day lives in Kentucky, John and his wife, Andrea, both “felt a calling for adventure,” but they couldn’t pinpoint exactly what that meant until a trip to visit John’s sister in Nocatee made them begin to consider a move to Florida. “With some prayer and a lot of courage, we decided to move to Florida in early 2020,” John recalls. “At that point, my sister had left Nocatee, so we were moving to a place where we didn’t know anyone, and I didn’t have a job, and it was the height of the pandemic. I didn’t want to return to the corporate world, so I put my faith in God and knew that something good would happen if I trusted Him.” realproducersmag.com
Now a fifth-generation REALTOR®, John is thriving in his new role with RE/MAX. In the last 12 months, he has completed 19 transactions for almost $13 million. FINDING A NEW CADENCE
Moving to a new state, starting a new career, and doing both during an unprecedented global pandemic, required a great deal of fortitude. “Leaving our life in Kentucky was very hard. We have great family and friends there. Work was going well, and we were generally very happy,” John says. “However, we knew that
there was something else out there for us. We took a chance, and it has paid off huge…I have learned to put my faith in God and trust Him in all things.” John’s collegiate track career may have helped him dig deep to find that fortitude he so desperately needed at that point in his life. “During my sophomore year at the University of Kentucky, I believed I had a good chance of winning the NCAA Championship in the 1500 meters. In the prelim of the NCAA meet, I got boxed in during the last 100 meters and finished .1 second away from qualifying for the final,” John says. “The eventual NCAA winner was someone I had beaten two weeks earlier. I was crushed that I didn’t qualify, but my coach was extremely thoughtful and offered some perspective. He told me I ran a great race. I put myself in the perfect position. I ran as fast as I possibly could, given the race that was in front of me. However, due to Jacksonville Real Producers • 19
