In this year’s Boston Marathon, 26,598 runners made it across the finish line. But one of those runners was a man whose journey started many years ago.
Originally from Venezuela, Maikel Melamed was born with muscular dystrophy, a rare condition that makes moving, especially walking, very difficult. His parents brought him from Venezuela to Boston as a child for life-saving treatment. And now as a 39-year-old adult, he paid tribute to the city that saved his life by competing in the Boston Marathon.
Plenty of competitors never even see the finish line of this historic marathon. But Melamed was confident he could see this race to the end. Armed with his determination and accompanied by a whole crowd of loving supporters, Melamed walked every step of the race. With his friends there to cheer him on and catch him every time his legs gave out, Melamed finally crossed the finish line nearly 18 hours after the race started.
He was the very last competitor to finish this year’s race, and the Boston Athletic Association was more than honored to present him with a finisher’s medal. His accomplishment was not just a personal victory, but also a tribute to the human spirit. Stories like this one only prove that no matter what you have to overcome, if you don’t give up you’ll make it to the end.
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