Wounded warriors make run at NYC Marathon glory

Wounded warriors make run at NYC Marathon glory
By Kristina Sgueglia, CNN
updated 11:07 PM EST, Sat November 5, 2011
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Achilles Freedom Team members race in marathons across America
Most members are amputees or victims of traumatic brain injuries
Running a marathon "was always a life goal for me," says Michael Kacer, 29
Kacer, competing in his 10th marathon, will be joined by 24 other wounded vets

New York (CNN) -- Wounded warriors will gear up Sunday and go into a different battleground -- the New York City Marathon.

Twenty-five disabled veterans will push through 26.2-mile route through the five boroughs, running, churning hand cranks, pushing wheelchairs and propelling prosthetic legs to the finish line in Central Park.

One of those 25 was in Walter Reed Army Medical Center three years ago, suffering from a lost limb, a reverse colostomy and two collapsed lungs that made it near impossible to breathe.

"I never thought I'd ever be able to run, let alone run a marathon, which was always a life goal for me," Michael Kacer said.

On Sunday, Kacer will be running in his 10th since 2009. He is a member of the Achilles Freedom Team, a group of wounded veterans, most of whom are motivated amputees and victims of traumatic brain injuries, who race in marathons across America.
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