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It's Not Always about the Time Goals and accomplishments aren't always measured on a clock. When I set my sights on the 2006 Marine Corps Marathon, I trained hard and felt I would finish in 4:30, and, barring any problems, maybe even better. On my way to the start line, however, my goal changed. I noticed John's leg as soon as he walked up. Amputees who run marathons are not common (to say the least). John and I were checking out each other's components and talking prosthetic technology like some runners talk about their shoes. This was my fourth marathon, and I learned it was John's first. He told me he was mostly concerned about getting over the bridge before they closed the course. I wished John luck and turned away to catch up with my group. I only got about two steps away before I turned back to John and said, "Hey, my time today doesn't matter. Let's run this marathon together." John accepted my proposal, and we headed for the start. I ran the marathon as a memorial to my dad, a proud Marine who would have turned 80 this year. I also did it as a fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project. I raised more than $4,000. I soon discovered that John was himself a wounded warrior, having lost his leg in a helicopter crash. He is also an active-duty pilot in the Air Force and holds the rank of lieutenant colonel. He is the first Air Force pilot to be returned to full active duty after losing a limb in the line of duty. As we ran, John had some suspension and comfort issues that made several stops necessary for him to remove and re-don his prosthesis. John dug deep and even with the stops, we held a pace that got us across the bridge with plenty of time to spare. We covered the last mile at an 8:30 pace and then sprinted up the hill to the finish line, crossing it together stride for stride. John was grateful for the coaching and support. And I was thankful for the opportunity to help a wounded warrior become a marathon finisher. The 2006 Marine Corps Marathon was my best yet--not because it was a personal record time, but because I had the chance to give back a little of the help and encouragement that so many others have given me. I'll be proud to post my finishing time of 6:05 right next to the picture of John and me crossing the finish line together. SPORTS BRIEFS Amputee Shatters Records at Chicago Marathon On a chilly, windy day at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 22, Amy Palmerio-Winters of Meadville, Pennsylvania, shattered another marathon record for female amputee runners. Despite running on two broken toes that were not yet completely healed on her sound leg, and spending Thursday and Friday in the hospital due to anaphylactic shock, Palmerio-Winters finished the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in 3:04:16, which beats her best marathon time of 3:16 at the Boston Marathon, which she achieved before her limb loss. She placed 34th in her age group and 148th in the entire field of able-bodied female marathoners. Palmerio-Winters' previous best marathon time with her new running prosthesis was 3:26 at the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon this past May. Before that, the best marathon time for a female amputee was 3:52. Palmerio-Winters, a 34-year-old welder and mother of two, suffered a motorcycle accident in 1994. Three years and 25 surgeries later, her left leg was amputated below the knee. Following the amputation, it took three years before Palmerio-Winters could even try to run again. "I was told in 1994 I wouldn't run again," Palmerio-Winters said. She received her customized running prosthesis in February 2006 from Erik Schaffer CP, president of A Step Ahead Prosthetics & Orthotics, Hicksville, New York. Persons with Disabilities Shine at NYC Marathon World champion wheelchair racer Amanda McGrory of Champaign, Illinois, and Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, added to her impressive list of 2006 accomplishments by beating Great Britain's Shelly Woods to win the women's wheelchair division of the ING New York City Marathon November 5. McGrory crossed the finish line in 1:54:17, two seconds ahead of Woods, who had been neck-and-neck with her for most of the race. The victory for McGrory comes on the heels of a two-medal performance (gold, 800m; silver, 400m in the women's T53 division) in September at the 2006 IPC Athletics World Championships in Assen, The Netherlands. Paralympian Christina Ripp, Dane, Wisconsin, finished sixth in the race with a time of 1:57:14, the second-fastest US finish in the women's race. Australian Kurt Fearnley easily won the men's wheelchair race. His time of 1:29:22 was more than six minutes better than the second-place finisher. Paralympian Jacob Heilveil, Longmont, Colorado, had the best finish among the US men, earning sixth place with a time of 1:40:49. Ali Bergstrom of New York finished first among the handcyclists, in 1:21:57. About 70 veterans with disabilities also completed the Marathon as members of the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded War Veterans, sponsored by the nonprofit Achilles Track Club ( www.achillestrackclub.org ). For full results of the ING New York City Marathon, visit www.nycmarathon.org/results/index.php DS/USA Chapter Forms in Florida Planetkind Sports, Gainesville, Florida, announced it has formed a new chapter affiliated with Disabled Sports USA (DS/USA). Planetkind's Executive Director and founder of the new chapter, Von Ruder, said that Planetkind Sports is the only DS/USA chapter in Florida.

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It’s Not Always about the Time

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