And he carried an American flag while doing it.
In 2011, Staff Sgt. Jose Luis Sanchez lost his left leg to an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. Today, the retired marine ran the Boston Marathon, and he carried an American flag while doing it. (Here’s how his fellow marines are also becoming elite athletes.) Amazingly, this isn’t the first time he’s run the marathon while bearing the Stars and Stripes. He completed this same feat last year.
This year, Sanchez finished the race in 5 hours, 33 minutes, and 49 seconds while competing with Team Semper Fi, a group dedicated to helping service member who have suffered major injuries, or deal with PTSD and other critical conditions, per The Boston Globe.
His journey touched everyone who was following the race, and for good reason. The video above is enough to soften even the hardest of hearts, as Sanchez valiantly powers to the finish line, flag proudly waving in the air. Seriously, kudos to Staff Sgt. Sanchez here, and thank you for your service.
