Meet Larry Lewis - a man who has survived everything life has thrown at him
Larry Lewis's commitment to surviving races has earned him numerous medals over the years.
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Larry Lewis was just days away from his 34th consecutive New York City Marathon when a stroke sidelined him.
It didn't stop him from returning to the course this year.
Lewis crossed his first marathon finish line in Boston in the 1980s. A co-worker had asked him to run, and Lewis, not knowing what to expect, agreed.
"My finish time was 3:35," Lewis said. "I didn’t have any idea what I was doing. I was surviving out there."
His commitment to surviving races has earned him numerous medals over the years. However, just days before his 34th consecutive New York City Marathon in 2018, Lewis suffered a stroke.
"When you can walk, and then you cannot walk, you have to relearn how to walk," Lewis said. "You realize how much there is to walking."
While he can no longer run, Lewis has found a new way to travel the 26.2 miles. With the help of Arielle Disick, from Achilles International, a nonprofit supporting adaptive running, Lewis will participate in this year’s TCS New York City Marathon.
Disick will push Lewis in a wheelchair while he coaches her through the race, which New York Road Runners produce.
"I knew when I got that chair that I could return to events somehow and at some level," Lewis said.
For Lewis, the marathon he missed in 2018 will finally become a reality - this time with a playlist ready to motivate him.
'"James Brown’s ‘Get Up Offa That Thing!’ I’m sure I’ll be singing that on the day of the marathon. I’m back!" Lewis said.
His journey serves as a reminder that, no matter what challenges arise, it’s about finding the best way to keep moving forward.
