In the closing minutes of this year's Boston Marathon, a special moment captured the hearts of many, reminding us what this race is really all about.
Crossing the finish line with this guide over his shoulders, 9-year veteran Earl Granville delighted all of those waiting for him at the end of the race.
50 feet before the end of the race, he looked at his guide, Andi Piscopo and decided to have some fun with the finish.
He hoisted her onto his shoulders for a monumental moment.
Andi's job as a guide was to keep an eye on him medically and keep his pace count. They have run multiple endurance races together, and motivate each other to keep going.
Posted by Amy Suchanoff Hoey on Monday, April 17, 2017
Granville served under the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and lost part of his leg in the summer of 2008 when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. He lost 2 of his friends in the blast. 2 and a half years later his twin brother, who also served in the army, took his own life.
"My downward spiral happened after that," Granville said. "A lot of hardships I faced, a lot of things I was doing. It was just very unhealthy choices I was making."
He picked up an active lifestyle and has since participated in multiple marathons including Boston, Chicago, Detroit and New York.
"I had to change my attitude, and I think my attitude changed a lot just doing, being active," Granville said.
"Never had I thought just a spur-of-the-moment thing would blow up into something like this," he said.
