Singapore Blade Runner Returns to the Boston Marathon
He was in the centre of the Boston Marathon bombings last year. But instead of letting that discourage him, Shariff Abdullah Peters, who is better known as the Singapore Blade Runner returned to the scene of the bombings this year in April.
According to Shariff, who runs with a prosthetic leg, he had wanted to complete the run not only for himself, but also for the people of Boston too.
However, despite his running experience, this year’s Boston marathon was far from easy for this 44-year-old mobility impaired athlete.
Suffering flashbacks
Shariff had suffered fears and flashbacks during the marathon race and began to wonder whether he would even be able to complete the marathon – because of his ill-fated experience there, last year.
These fears eventually went away soon after he started running, but came rushing back when he reached the same point as the bombings last year. This had been 800m from the finishing line.
It also didn’t help during the race either, when Shariff faced problems with his prosthetic leg. The alignment of this leg had shifted slightly, thus causing him immense pain, from the 18-mile mark onwards.
So Shariff had to bear with agony for the rest of the race.
But never once did he contemplate giving up, despite the fear, pain and suffering that he had been going through during the race.
Made it to the finishing line
Shariff eventually made it to the finishing line – with the help of an American lady, Jennifer Nocella Dugan, who had been a guide for another mobility impaired runner. She had seen Shariff struggling, shortly after his prosthetic leg had shifted. After that, she was determined to help him reach the finishing line.
And she definitely succeeded in her goal. Shariff crossed the finishing line in about 7 hours and 11 minutes – thus succeeding in his quest to complete the marathon for the people of Boston.
Click here for a moving account of Shariff’s Boston Marathon experience.
