Every morning you get up and think you cant make it through the day, I want you to think of this guy. Every morning you think your headache or sore knee means you cant go to work that day, I want you to think of this guy. He recently finished the LA Marathon in 7 days. 7 days, you think, wow thats pretty slow. Then consider this guy lost both of his legs in Vietnam. Thats right, this guy finished a marathon WITHOUT LEGS. He uses his arms to literally drag his torso around the course.
You think thats impressive? A few years back he spent FOUR YEARS going from LA to DC to visit the Vietnam Memorial. Are you freaking kidding me? This guy went coast to coast WITHOUT LEGS! How many of us have ever complained how much it hurts to fly coast to coast because of the small seats we have to cram our legs into. This guy says OK, well try pulling your torso across the country using only your arms. God bless this guy not just for serving his country but for having fortitude, courage and conviction that all of us only dream about having.
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Legless Veteran Finishes L.A. Marathon
Sun Mar 9, 8:18 AM ET Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!
By AMANDA RIDDLE, Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES - A veteran who lost his legs to a mortar round in Vietnam finished the Los Angeles Marathon on Saturday, a week after he began, to the cheers of supporters and passers-by.
Police closed down the last half block of the 26.2-mile course so Bob Wieland, 57, propelled only by his hands, could cross the finish line in the middle of a downtown street.
As about 150 people huddled around, Wieland raised a hand and pointed his index finger in the air as a marathon official placed a medal around his neck.
"This was not natural. This was supernatural," he said. "It was only done by the grace of God."
Wieland finished in 173 hours and 45 minutes, marathon officials said. He said he slept only 11 hours since he began the route March 1.
In an emotional gathering in the middle of the street, a friend gave Wieland a trophy for "most courageous athlete in America." He thanked his support team and the strangers who cheered for him as he slowly made his way along the route's sidewalks and streets.
It wasn't the first long hand-walk for Wieland, who lives in suburban Arcadia. He crossed the nation from California to Washington, D.C., over a period of three years, eight months and six days in 1982-86. He's also finished the New York City Marathon twice and the Ironman triathlon in Hawaii.
This was his third time finishing the Los Angeles Marathon, although it was his slowest time.
You think thats impressive? A few years back he spent FOUR YEARS going from LA to DC to visit the Vietnam Memorial. Are you freaking kidding me? This guy went coast to coast WITHOUT LEGS! How many of us have ever complained how much it hurts to fly coast to coast because of the small seats we have to cram our legs into. This guy says OK, well try pulling your torso across the country using only your arms. God bless this guy not just for serving his country but for having fortitude, courage and conviction that all of us only dream about having.
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Legless Veteran Finishes L.A. Marathon
Sun Mar 9, 8:18 AM ET Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!
By AMANDA RIDDLE, Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES - A veteran who lost his legs to a mortar round in Vietnam finished the Los Angeles Marathon on Saturday, a week after he began, to the cheers of supporters and passers-by.
Police closed down the last half block of the 26.2-mile course so Bob Wieland, 57, propelled only by his hands, could cross the finish line in the middle of a downtown street.
As about 150 people huddled around, Wieland raised a hand and pointed his index finger in the air as a marathon official placed a medal around his neck.
"This was not natural. This was supernatural," he said. "It was only done by the grace of God."
Wieland finished in 173 hours and 45 minutes, marathon officials said. He said he slept only 11 hours since he began the route March 1.
In an emotional gathering in the middle of the street, a friend gave Wieland a trophy for "most courageous athlete in America." He thanked his support team and the strangers who cheered for him as he slowly made his way along the route's sidewalks and streets.
It wasn't the first long hand-walk for Wieland, who lives in suburban Arcadia. He crossed the nation from California to Washington, D.C., over a period of three years, eight months and six days in 1982-86. He's also finished the New York City Marathon twice and the Ironman triathlon in Hawaii.
This was his third time finishing the Los Angeles Marathon, although it was his slowest time.
