Marathon Victim Runs On Her Own For The First Time Since April

Photo via Facebook.com

There were some falls, which were to be expected, but Celeste Corcoran, one of the victims who lost both of her legs in the Boston Marathon bombings in April, ran for the first time this week using a set of specialized prosthetic “running legs” during a rehabilitation session in Florida.

In a series of videos posted by Corcoran’s sister on a Facebook page dedicated to updating people on Corcoran and her daughter’s recovery efforts, she moves forward across the room on her own at the Prosthetic and Orthotic Association (POA) in Orlando.

The POA “specializes in engineering and fitting high-performance, high-technology prostheses that support active lifestyles for patients,” including running legs. The prosthetics were created through a grant from the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and help from the charity organization 50 Legs. Corcoran and her sister went to the facility to test out the new prosthetics.

At first, videos show Corcoran, 48, striding across the facility with the help of two trainers holding her up. But not long after, she was off on her own.

On the Facebook page, her sister wrote:

Another huge LEAP in the process of getting her life back, and the funny thing is she never liked to run before! This is her way of saying F YOU terrorists! And yet again proving that good triumphs over all evil… It was a huge accomplishment. We did not think she would be able to run without assistance yet—but she nailed it!!

Other videos show Celeste on a treadmill as her family and support staff cheer her on.

But it doesn’t stop there. The POA also made special “fins” for Corcoran, which she also got to try out in Orlando. After a day of running on her own for the first time in short spurts, the family headed to the Marriott swimming pool, nearby POA’s facility, to test them out.

Corcoran’s sister writes:

They are super cool!! I should also mention that despite the pouring rain it was a great day for a swim.

In the months since the bombings, it seems as though nothing has been able to keep Corcoran from living a normal life. According to the updates on the Facebook page, she got her license to drive in December, and is now able to get a new car with hand gears.

She has also been scaling the walls inside of a climbing gym.

Corcoran and her daughter, Sydney, of Lowell, were standing near the finish line in April when the bombs exploded Sydney was also injured when a piece of shrapnel severed a major artery in her leg, causing severe blood loss. They are both still healing from their injuries, but are making steady progress. 

Below is a video of Corcoran’s first run on her own. Additional videos and updates can be found on the “Celeste & Sydney Corcoran Support Page.”