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Amputee athlete prepares to break world record for marathon runs
An amputee ran more than 100 marathons in just as many days, but she’s not done yet. The world record is set to be broken Thursday. FOX 26’s Matthew Seedorff tells us how her story is inspiring others in Houston.
HOUSTON - An amputee athlete in Arizona is inspiring runners all over the world to get moving.
On Thursday, Jacky Hunt-Broersma plans to finish running her 102nd full marathon in 102 consecutive days.
"It’s just great to be able to show what you can do as an amputee, what you can achieve," said Hunt-Broersma.
In 2001, Hunt-Broersma was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma. A rare form of cancer that occurs in and around bones. As a result, Hunt-Broersma had to amputate her leg to prevent the cancer from spreading.
"You have to be grateful that you survived cancer, but then you have this new life that you have to accept that you’re an amputee," said Hunt-Broersma. "It was so bizarre."
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According to Hunt-Broersma, she didn’t enjoy running until she had the procedure. It took a few years, but eventually Hunt-Broersma says running helped her gain strength.
"[Running] helped me mentally to kind of accept that I was different," said Hunt-Broersma. "[It] just made me feel stronger."
In 2022, Hunt-Broersma made a new goal. To run 102 marathons over the course of 102 straight days. As of Wednesday, she has completed 101 consecutive marathons. She’s now one marathon away from setting a new world record.
Hunt-Broersma has been sharing her running story on Instagram. Runners and athletes across the world are getting inspired by her strength.
"There’s no limit to what’s possible when you put your mind to it," said Patrick Pressgrove. "She’s living proof of that."
Pressgrove is a double amputee athlete in Houston and COO of Team Catapult. A non-profit that helps local disabled athlete compete in sports.
"The [disabled athletic] community is already small enough," said Pressgrove. "So, when someone really stands out in that community doing something as special as [Hunt-Broersma] is, it’s hard not to talk about it."
Hunt-Broersma is running to raise awareness and money for other disabled athletes. So far she has raised more than $16,000 for Amputee Blade Runners.
"If I’m honest, when I started, I didn’t think I’d actually make it to this point," said Hunt-Broersma. "I want people, as amputees or even not as amputees, to look at me and think, if she can do something hard, I can do something hard."
If you’re interested in donating towards Amputee Blade Runners click HERE, or Team Catapult click HERE.