NYC Marathon – Paralyzed marathoner Pierry Duvan Ramirez keeps track of his finish line while helping others cross them

As Pierry Duvan Ramirez continues his quest to race all six of the World Marathons, he’ll be sure to land his spot at the New York City Marathon on Sunday. The 46-year-old Colombian national, paralyzed from the waist down, will use a specially equipped manual wheelchair to get to the finish line, after which he will return to the more standard model he used. We’ve been using it for almost three decades.

Ramirez’s life is forever changed as a result of the illegal drug trade in 1990s Colombia, but his sense of service remains intact. Since 2007, he has been a member of Achilles International, a non-profit organization founded in the United States dedicated to providing support to athletes of varying degrees around the world.

“The happiness I feel in accomplishing my duties and in serving others really motivates me,” Ramirez told ESPN. “I feel very gratified to be able to bring this opportunity to others, share my experience and change their lives because of it.”

In helping more than 50 athletes with disabilities register for some of the world’s top marathons, Ramirez has not given up on pursuing his own goals, competing in marathons and long-distance races. other during the past 15 years.

When Ramirez was completing his military service with the Colombian National Police in July 1994 – a time when the country was going through a transition following the death of drug lord Pablo Escobar – the patrol car he was The passenger was bombed planted by FARC guerrillas as it crossed a bridge. The explosion then caused the driver to lose control and plunge into the ditch. Spinal cord injury As a result, Ramirez suffered leaving him paralyzed.

Furthermore, a bone fracture following the unexpected incident resulted in the amputation of Ramirez’s right leg. However, he refused to let these circumstances lessen him. After a period of rehabilitation, he went on to earn a degree in speech therapy at Colombia’s Manuela Beltran University.

Although he started competing in events in Colombia in the late 90s, most of the races available to him during that time were limited to 5 or 10K circuits. His hunger for bigger challenges on and off the track led him to join the Achilles.

“After I was confined to a wheelchair, I immediately started looking at options to be able to compete in races. Achilles opened up the possibility for me to compete outside of Colombia,” Ramirez said.

His thirst for competition led him to run marathons in Miami and Boston, among other places. Three years ago, Ramirez – who lives in Bogota – went to Washington DC as part of a group of Colombian athletes of various achievements who have been honored at the White House and US Congress.

Earlier this year, he ran the Berlin Marathon for the first time.

“I don’t really understand the greatness of that race [in Berlin] until I’m there to experience it,” he said.

As part of her work to empower herself and other qualified athletes, Ramirez serves as the program coordinator for the International Law Enforcement and Drug Survivors Support Program. with the US Embassy in Colombia. The organization helps ex-police and military veterans injured in operations against terrorism and crime.

Through the program, Ramirez was able to work with American and Colombian athletes, bringing both groups between countries to build relationships with each other. Each year, Ramirez hosts U.S. military officers in races with members of the Achilles’ Colombia chapter in Cartagena, on the country’s Caribbean coast. In addition to veterans of his country’s civil conflict, Ramirez has worked with Americans who have served in conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam.

“Pierry uses his connections with the Colombian National Police and the US Embassy to help make people’s lives more fulfilling. He knows a catastrophic trauma can’t stop you and wants to give Others see so much more,” said Janet Patton, vice president of event production at Achilles. “What’s special about this partnership for our first responders and veterans around the world is that it activates the service element within them to give back.”

After competing in New York City – and with Berlin and Boston already scratched – Ramirez will go on to tackle the rest of the World Marathons remaining on his roster: Chicago, London and Tokyo. If he completes these marathons, he will join a select group of runners dubbed the “Six Star Finishers” (of which 8,067 are currently recorded). It’s a difference Ramirez hopes will inspire others to follow his example and motivate others in Colombia towards pursuing sports in general.

Ramirez, who also competes in cycling, is the former president of the Colombian Paralympic Committee, who lobbied for the country to host its first Parapan American Cycling competition in 2007. During the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Colombia hit a record 61 athletes with 24 medal wins, marking the country’s best performance at the competition. Seven people stood on the podium for athletics, including a silver medal for Darian Jimenez in the women’s 100 metres.

Emily Glasser, President and CEO of Achilles. “Pierry embodies the spirit of Achilles International and demonstrates how running can transform lives.”

In New York City, Ramirez said he will prioritize focusing on completing the task at hand, as he does in most races, but will also allow himself to immerse himself in his surroundings. in the biggest races in the world as he did in Germany earlier this year.

“We can do anything in life, no matter what state we are in,” says Ramirez. “Walking or being in a wheelchair are just two different ways to get around. On the other hand, happiness? It’s something we can all choose.”