First bilateral female amputee to run Boston Marathon

BOSTON — Monday is a big day in many ways for Jami Marseilles, but she's more concerned with enjoying the journey than running her fastest.

"As I run Heartbreak Hill, I'm going to stop, I'm going to take pictures, I'm going to hug, I'm going to high five. I'm going to do everything I can to remember each and every moment from this marathon," she said.

Marseilles is aiming to be the first female bilateral amputee to finish the Boston Marathon.

"I googled and I googled and I researched and I researched, and I cannot find any bilateral woman that has run the marathon," said Marseilles, who is from Huntington Beach, California.

At just 19 years old, Marseilles lost her lower legs to frostbite after being stranded in a car for 11 days following a snowstorm, according to Runner's World. Her physical therapist told her the best way to heal herself was through exercise, and that recommendation changed her life.

She's competed at Paralympic competitions around the world and has run several half marathons. She ran the Chicago Marathon last October and that qualified her for the Boston Marathon.

For Marseilles, it's more than being the first; the Boston Marathon is something special.

"The community of Boston and the city is so strong and willing to open their arms to others. I want to pay it forward. I want to empower women across the world to realize that we all have a different journey," she said.

Her friends who survived the Boston Marathon bombings have taught her an important lesson she hopes to share with others.

"If life throws you a curve ball, you have to get up and keep going," Marseilles said.

She's ready for Monday and said that she's been training her whole life for this run.

"My prosthetics might bother me here or there, but I have the mental capacity to get through it," she said.

And when she crosses the finish line, she'll be a little further along in her life journey.

Cox Media Group