If you’ve been temporarily incapacitated, then you’ll opine that life can be difficult when some of the body organs are non-functional or dysfunctional. However, one woman has demonstrated that it’s possible to live a fulfilling life despite living with such challenges.
Theresa Vereline is a retired Army Sergeant who has defied all odds to become the first-ever paralysed American to complete the New York City Marathon.
Besides the health challenge, Theresa is also quite elderly. She is 65 years old!
Marathon
On November 1st, 2019, she the started the New York City Marathon by walking 10 miles with the help of an exoskeleton. On November 2nd, she walked another 10 miles before completing the whole 26.2 miles on the marathon day.
This milestone was crucial in the history of the New York City marathon. It exemplifies its accommodative nature which helps the people living with disabilities to feel part and parcel of the larger society.
Immediately after crossing the finish line, spectators joined her in her celebrations. She acknowledged that it was not an easy fate, but she was grateful that she got the rare opportunity to inspire all the people living with disabilities globally that they can achieve whatver they need in life.
The fact that Theresa completed the race on her foot added colour to the momentous occasion. She used a futuristic device known as ReWalk which is an exoskeleton designed to help paraplegics to move comfortably with the help of clutches.
Theresa was paralyzed in 2011 but she did not allow her condition to suppress her desire to exploit and explore adventurous areas. When she discovered the ReWalk Robotics exoskeleton, she took it up. She has been using this device for the last 7 years and she has testified that her life changed positively after acclimatizing to its use.
She trained hard to achieve the success witnessed in the New York Marathon and she’ll remain forever grateful for getting a second chance to stand out and contribute positively to society.
