He is set to be a Six Star Medal runner with a man-made coronary heart valve

In our “Why I’m Operating” collection, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. On the lookout for extra race day content material? Join Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon publication.

Identify: Edward Barnes
Age: 36
Metropolis/State: Douglas, Mass.

On Could 10, 2005, I wakened in Boston Kids’s Hospital after open-heart surgical procedure, unsure about my future. I had simply obtained a St. Jude synthetic aortic valve, and the ticking sound in my chest symbolized a brand new chapter in my life. Rising up in Massachusetts, my dad and I might watch the Boston Marathon collectively, and he as soon as shared a newspaper clipping of my cousin, who ran the marathon after mind surgical procedure. It impressed me to vow him I might run the Boston Marathon at some point.

After my father’s passing in 2011, I started coaching for that promise. My first marathon time was disappointing, however I didn’t hand over. I ran different marathons, finally profitable a lottery spot for the 2019 NYC Marathon, the place I found the Abbott World Main Marathons. This set a brand new aim: to run all six. I accomplished Chicago in 2021 and Berlin in 2022, and when the chance to run the London Marathon arose, I embraced it.

In 2022, I set a Guinness World Report for the quickest marathon with a man-made coronary heart valve, a document that was later surpassed, however the affect of inspiring others to push their limits was extra significant than the title itself. I’ve now accomplished 5 of the six Abbott World Main Marathons, with Boston remaining. After I cross that end line on April 21, I’ll change into the primary runner with a man-made coronary heart valve to earn the distinguished Abbott Six Star Medal, proving that with perseverance, even the best challenges can result in extraordinary accomplishments.

I simply need to encourage different folks to interrupt obstacles and show something is feasible.

Editor’s notice: This entry might have been frivolously edited for readability or grammar.