Juarez. Hammer. Ballard. That was the mantra that kept Micah Herndon going towards the finish line at the Boston Marathon. Micah finished the race crawling on the street.
The thirty one years old veteran served deployments in the regions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Posted by Micah James on Thursday, March 2, 2017
Credit: Facebook/ Micah James
Micah who survived the 2010 explosion during his service tour in Afghanistan. Though it was a close call for him, three of his comrades were killed that day. They were Mark Juarez and Matthew Ballard, both fellow marines and Rupert Hammer, a British journalist.
Here’s a catch about marathons. They are NOT easy. It requires a strict routine of practice and discipline. In addition, one has to have strong mental endurance. It might come easy for a marine veteran as it is part and parcel of their profession. According to Micah, what pushed him to the finish line more than discipline was determination.
Micah’s running shoes with three golden nameplates of the fallen comrades.
Posted by Micah James on Friday, April 12, 2019
Credit: Facebook/ Micah James
He participated in the marathon solely to pray tribute to his comrades, and he was determined to honor their sacrifices no matter what comes in the way. Micah was off to a good start, considering this was his first marathon. However, before he could touch the finish line, his knees collapsed on him.
Physically, he was exhausted but his spirit was undeterred.
Bearing his comrades names on his mind and skin, he put his hands and knees forward to complete the race at a time record of 3 hours and 38 minutes.
Micah said that the time didn’t matter to him. He was utterly happy to have kept his promise to honor the lives of the fallen men.
When you have your mind fixed on the goal, nothing can stop you. Watch the video of Micah’s endearing feat below.
Credit: YouTube/CBS Boston
