Bombing survivor Adrianne Haslet-Davis prepares to run full Marathon

 
 
Adrianne Haslet-Davis lost left leg in bombing –BOSTON —Adrianne Haslet-Davis has been many things in her life, a dancer, terror bombing survivor and amputee, but never until now has she been marathon runner.
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“I never want to portray that it’s easy for me. I’m doing it to show how hard it is,” Haslet-Davis told NewsCenter 5’s Heather Unruh.
It was hard enough just to survive the Boston Marathon bombing that took her left leg below the knee three years ago. But now, Haslet-Davis intends to run the Boston Marathon as an amputee.
“I’m not inspired by the amputee that’s crossing the finish line or standing on top of the mountain,” she said. “I’m inspired by the struggle and the deep, raw grit that it took to get there. And I think the Boston Marathon does a good job of showing the grit.”
Haslet-Davis said she saw the challenge of running 26.2 miles as a way to say “thank you” to anyone who has helped her or other survivors of the twin bombing attack.
“It’s also a big way to say ‘take it’ to the people who did this,” she said. “A lot of it’s just, you tried to tear us down and we’re trying to pick up the pieces and we’re going to show you how we’re doing.”
Haslet-Davis has done long runs before, but never one as long as Monday’s. She’ll have to repeatedly change the rubber sleeve that keeps her prosthetic attached to prevent injuring the skin.
And she’s worried about running with 30,000 other people: she doesn’t want to clip anyone with her prosthetic blade.
The training has been therapeutic, but some days are better than others.
“I still shed tears year round,” she said. “I will always mourn the loss of my leg. I still wake up and forget that it’s gone, and then all of the sudden I try to move and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, really?”
On Marathon Monday, her speed isn’t important. She is planning on walking part of the route, including Heartbreak Hill.
“Not because I can’t run it but because I want to enjoy the moment,” she said.
She’s been doing a different kind of training to prepare herself for the emotion-laden moment of crossing the finish line, the scene of so much carnage.
We’ve been working on what it would be like to cross the finish line and there’s really nothing that can prepare you for that moment,” she said.
“I just hope I have enough hydration to cry and run at the same time,” she said.
“You think there will be a lot of tears?” Unruh asked.
“A lot of tears,” Haslet-Davis replied. “I tear up just thinking about it.”