Completing a marathon is a major accomplishment in itself. Completing a marathon after surviving a catastrophic injury, on the other hand, is a whole different story.
This past Sunday, October 7, nearly 40,000 people competed in the Chicago Marathon. Two of these competitors defied the odds and accomplished something many people would, at first thought, consider impossible. Traumatic amputation survivors Cpl. Ben Maenza and Special Forces Sgt. 1st Class John Masson raced on hand cycles.
Two years ago, both soldiers survived traumatic amputations after being injured by improvised explosive devices (IED) while servings overseas. Maenza lost both of his legs while Masson, a father of three, lost both legs and his arm below the elbow. The two injury survivors met during their trip back to the U.S. for rehabilitation at the Walter Reed Medical Army Medical Center. They went through their recovery journey together and formed a bond which Maenza describes is unlike any other. They were there for each other through the low points, like battling bouts of depression, and the milestones, like learning how to walk again.
During recovery, they became involved with Achilles International, an organization that helps injured soldiers compete in running events. It was at that point that both Masson and Maenza decided they had to do something to show others that, no matter what kind of difficult times your experience; anyone has the capability to do great things.
They trained separately in their hometowns of Fayetteville, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee. However, both injury survivors were side by side in their hand cycles on race day, making everyone proud of their achievements.
These soldiers are a true testament to the power of perseverance and a positive attitude and we hope their story inspires others to go out and accomplish their goals.
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