andice Caesar was stationed in Germany with the United States Army in 1999 as an operation specialist.

In a split second, her dream job became a nightmare when she and another soldier were involved in an accident that left Caesar with spinal injuries and brain trauma. The doctor treating her doubted she’d ever be able to walk again.

“I told him I was going to walk a marathon even though I didn’t even know how long a marathon was at the time,” Caesar told Vantage Point.

Through her faith and incredible persistence, the Houston native not only walked a marathon but ran 13 of them, including the Boston Marathon in 2016. Despite her athletic success and incredible spirit, Caesar didn’t feel whole again.

“You want to be who you used to be,” she told American Military News. “But that’s impossible. You can’t go there.”

Caesar’s addiction to running marathons took a hit when her doctors told her that she could suffer serious injuries if she continued to pound the asphalt and put a strain on her body. Undeterred, Caesar took up handcycling and continued to do marathon distance racing.

“It doesn’t matter what your disability is, rain or shine, we have to cross the finish line,” she said.