Survivors of Boston Marathon Bombing Learn to Run with New Limbs

Heather Abbott spent Sunday learning to run again, this time with an artificial limb.

Abbott, who lost part of her leg in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, was one of several survivors of the April 15 explosion who attended an athletic clinic for amputees at Harvard University over the weekend. 

"I haven't really run since before April 15 and it's something I wanted to get back to," she said.

The clinic was run by the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which provides equipment and training for amputees to participate in sports. Two-time Boston Marathon winner Joan Benoit Samuelson told the more than 60 clinic attendees "There is no finish line." She encouraged them to meet their challenges and look for new ones.

Roy Perkins, director of marketing and programs for the foundation, said he believes "participating in sports and athletics can help build confidence and self esteem" for people who have lost limbs.

"We'll have people out here who lost their leg maybe 10 years ago and really haven't been active and we're going to get them up and running within 20 minutes," he said.

Abbott was fitted with a running prosthetic on Saturday and was trying it out in the rain a day later. She stopped part of the way through to check for blisters, but she had none.

"It's a little bit of pressure because people keep asking me if I'm going to run marathons, which I wouldn't have done with two legs, so I'm going to run around the block and see how I do with that," she said.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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