It鈥檚 been a lifetime of aches and pains for 57-year-old Ed Purcell, starting when he was a kid.
In 1967, when he was 5 years old, he was hit by a car and suffered a fractured skull. And that wouldn鈥檛 be the last time he suffered a traumatic head injury.
鈥淚鈥檝e died twice in my life. I鈥檝e had three traumatic brain injuries, but I keep on moving,鈥� said the Louisa, Virginia, resident. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe in stopping.鈥�
Purcell grew up and joined the Marine Corps. He ran two marathons in 1995, finishing the Los Angeles Marathon before he left the service that year and celebrating his military career by doing the Marine Corps Marathon right after he got out.
Twenty-five years later, he鈥檚 ready to run again.
It鈥檚 a virtual event this time, but that 鈥� and 25 years of aging 鈥� aren鈥檛 all that鈥檚 changed for Purcell. There was also a bad car accident in 2007.
鈥淚 messed myself up pretty bad,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 got pinned in the car, broke my pelvis in two places 鈥� 13 bones altogether from the waist down.鈥�
More than a decade later, he still dealt with pain from that crash. In 2019, after repeated infections and surgeries, Purcell decided it was time for Veterans Affairs doctors to remove his right leg and replace it with a prosthetic.
鈥淪omeone told me I couldn鈥檛 run again,鈥� said Purcell, defiantly. 鈥淲ell, guess what? You know what? I鈥檓 running.鈥�
He admitted that some of the naysayers were even in his own family. But a man who credits a 鈥渟uperior mind and a superior attitude鈥� (as well as love and support from his wife, Penny) will be determined to prove those who doubt him wrong.
For those who believe in him, he hopes he can be inspiring, too.
鈥淲hen people see me run, that gives them the courage to go out and believe they can do things also,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 stop me. I don鈥檛 believe in quitting. I never quit.鈥�
The virtual Marine Corps Marathon began on Sunday and runs through Nov. 10. It鈥檒l give some people the chance to run not just the marathon, but also the 10K and the 50K races, too.
Purcell plans to run his marathon on Nov. 10 鈥� which is also the Marine Corp鈥檚 birthday. He鈥檒l be running with his brother in Virginia Beach.
鈥淚 want to run because it鈥檚 25 years later and I鈥檓 doing it on a prosthetic leg,鈥� he said.
And no matter how long it actually takes him, you better believe there will be some 鈥渙orahs鈥� along the way.
鈥淚t will complete my mission,鈥� Purcell said.
