Martin Parnell fought back after having a stroke and is cleared to run marathons again.
Parnell gained fame by running 250 marathons in just one year, all for charity.
But in February of 2015, he was stopped in his tracks by a stroke that nearly killed him.
“The clot was right across here from the top of the head to the back, around the ear and to the jugular,” he said. “So that passage way was all blocked.”
Doctors put him into a coma to save his life. When he came out of it, he had lost some vision, couldn’t drive and was not allowed to run.
But he wouldn’t let it stop him. He started walking every day, pushing a little further each time. With determination and medication, his clot is now 75 percent smaller.
Now he is running a marathon again, this one in Cochrane. 9 year old Angelina is helping out at Parnell's 6th annual run/walk.
“I’m very, very proud. He is trying to make other people happy even if he is still probably a bit sick,” she said.
Parnell is trying to raise money to build a playground for kids in Tanzania.
“We are trying to raise 10 thousand dollars for a playground, but if we hit ten thousand, they'll get a bouncy castle as well,” said Parnell. “That is what I am excited about. I think every kid should be able to play in a bouncy castle.”
Parnell is well on the way to fulfilling that dream. He finished the full marathon in 5 hours 16 minutes.
