Navy veteran Whitney Lewis to run Richmond Marathon 8K after spinal cord injury, years of recovery

RICHMOND, Va. — Whitney Lewis will be running the 8k during this year's Richmond Marathon races. She's already done her first three triathlons earlier this year, which all makes sense when you learn she was a swimmer at Mills Godwin and eventually joined the Navy.

She won't be watching a clock, just the next step in front of her.

"I'm not worried about my time. I'm not worried about being fast. I'm just worried about getting it done and getting it done safely," Lewis said.

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Lewis served eight years in the Navy and was part of their Flying Rifles Drill Team. The military was a great home for her., until it was suddenly taken away.

Lewis suffered a flight injury in 2005 that took two years of rehab just to get back on her feet. The pain was one thing, the sense of loss was something much different.

"I have a spinal cord injury," she said. "I don't have full use of my left hand."

She said she almost gave up hope.

"We don't talk about those times. My husband literally saved my life," she said. "There was a time where I let myself go, and I went through some things, losing my my father, going through that grief. That was very very hard."

The former athlete in Lewis got her off the couch and out of the house.

She discovered Sportable's adaptive programs which are designed even for people with hardware that's old enough to drink on it's own.

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"I've got lots of parts. I have titanium plates. I have titanium screws. My stabilizing ligaments in my left ankle are laced up and screwed down into my deeper muscles," she said. "When I run, I don't run at 100% because the surgeons basically told me that if I take a hard fall or hard turn, they would have to completely replace my ankle."

But none of that stops her.

Lewis credits the adaptive community for giving her the support she and so many others need to get moving and stay moving.

She admittedly has more selfish reasons for seeing as many finish lines as possible.

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"This access alone is so important, and a lot of people depend on this. I really truly do not know where we would be," she said. "The medals are nice, the T-shirts are nice, the swag is nice. But honestly, I like the food. I like earning a burger. I like earning some tacos. II like the food. The naps are very nice too."

Lewis sings the praises of what has helped her to anyone who will listen and who needs to hear. Because sometimes, there may only be that one voice that keeps someone going.

"Everybody's situation is different, yet you know similar in a way when it comes to veterans, that are going through it. And one thing is that I do say is this: is you know sometimes it feels like nobody cares. Well, I care, and I care about you."