INSPIRATION ALERT! 25 Years Ago, She Couldn’t Walk or Control Her Bowels; Last Week, She Ran a Marathon
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When Diana Ross started out, she couldn’t walk, struggled to communicate even basic ideas, and routinely soiled herself. Last week, the 25-year-old public relations assistant completed a marathon, finishing in 4 hours 26 minutes.
“I still can’t believe I did it,” Ross told Dumb Runner in a video interview. “Running a marathon is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and it’s especially gratifying when I stop to consider the larger arc of my journey—from barely being able to crawl to crossing the finish line of a 26.2-mile race.”
“How many people can say that?” she added.
Just two and a half decades ago, said Ross, her life consisted almost entirely of sleeping and eating, and she required round-the-clock care.
“It was really tough on my parents,” she said. “Even my moods were challenging. I could go from happy to screaming in the blink of an eye.”
Ross credits running with helping her both strengthen her body and manage her emotions; she now routinely sleeps through the night, feeds herself, and has excellent fine motor skills.
As for what comes next, Ross says she isn’t sure. While she may train for another marathon someday, for now she says she’s content to savor her first.
“Crossing that finish line was just so emotional,” she said. “And my parents were there to see it.”
“I cried like a baby.”
