Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor 'Takes Her Life Back' by Crossing Finish Line

Boston Marathon bombing survivor Rebekah Gregory crossed the finish line of this year’s race on Monday (April 20). Gregory, who lost her left leg at the race in 2013 as a result of the bombing, completed the final 3.5 miles of the marathon alongside her trainer, a fellow amputee. 

The 28-year-old endured 15 surgeries on her leg before doctors decided amputation was the best option in Nov. 2014. She learned to run on her prosthetic leg in Jan. of this year, according to ESPN W. 

Prior to the race, Gregory posted a photo online holding her marathon bib. “This is the day…..I take my life back,” she wrote. 

A video online shows the moment Gregory crossed the finish line, falling to the ground in emotion. 

She quoted scripture from 2 Timothy 4:7 on Facebook after the race writing, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Revently, Gregory appeared in court to testify against Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. After encountering the terrorist face-to-face, she wrote an open letter to Tsarnaev that immediately went viral, The Blaze reports. 

“...today, do you know what else happened? TODAY…I looked at you right in the face….and realized I wasn’t afraid anymore. And today I realized that sitting across from you was somehow the crazy kind of step forward that I needed all along.”

She continued, “...you can’t handle the fact that what you tried to destroy, you only made stronger.”

Publication date: April 21, 2015