About Debi

In 2007, after having quit a 32 year smoking habit a few years earlier, I started walking on a treadmill to lose weight and by February, 2009, I completed my first half marathon with a finish time of 2:31:09. In 2011, I became a member of the Half Fanatics and by February, 2012, I had completed 14 half marathons.

On August 28, 2012, I was involved in a near fatal automobile accident. Because the car was sitting in standing water, the top of my car was cut off in an attempt to rescue me. They discovered that the dashboard was crushing my legs and they couldn’t lift me out, so the emergency crew attached a chain to their truck and pulled the front of my car and dashboard off my legs. I was taken by helicopter to the local trauma center where I was treated for an open book pelvic fracture, fractured tailbone, fractured sacrum, crushed knee cap, fractured knee, fractured nose, and a fractured eye orbit.

The doctors told me I’d never run again due to the pelvis injuries I had sustained and the hardware that remains in my body. In February of 2013, I walked and completed my first 5K with a finishing time of 59:07. On October 27, 2013, I was able to run/walk my first half marathon! I was the 7th finisher from the end – the key word being “finisher” – with a time of 3:25:33. I completed two more half marathons in 2013, and so far I’ve done 4 in 2014.  If all goes well, my goal is to participate in at least 14 half marathons in 2014! Follow my journey at http://14-in-2014.com!