Emerson Phillips
Amputee athlete Jacky Hunt-Broersma is attempting to run 102 marathons in 102 days, and she’s doing it with a carbon-fiber blade for a lower left leg.
As of last month she had completed 69 marathons in 69 days. The 46-year-old South Africa native has run most of them on roads and trails near her home in Gilbert, Arizona. And on a few rainy days, she’s run the 26.2 miles on a treadmill.
If her streak remains intact heading into the Boston Marathon on April 18, it’ll be marathon No. 92. Boston’s the only certified marathon she’ll run as part of her quest.
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In 2001 her left leg was amputed below the knee after she was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer more typically found in children. Five years ago she decided to get into running.
“Running really changed my life,” she said. “It helped me accept myself as an amputee. It gave me a sense of freedom. I fell in love with the process of pushing my body further just to see what I could do.”
The 102-in-102 quest has take its toll – not just physically but psychologically. She felt near collapse after 15 miles of a recent marathon and tears started flowing.
“I had a total emotional breakdown,” she said. “I was like, ‘I just can’t do this. What was I thinking?’ The trick for me is just to break it down into little goals. Just get to the next mile. And then the next one.”
She’s persevered with support from her husband and their 2 children, and she’s gained a large social media following. Hunt-Broersma simply wants to inspire others, especially people with physical challenges of their own.
“You’re stronger than you think — and you’re capable of so much more.”
