Holding a U.S. flag bearing the signatures of many those with whom he served in Afghanistan, Staff Sgt. Jose Luis Sanchez (USMC-Ret) ran across the finish line completing the Boston Marathon. An impressive feat given the fact that in 2011 Sanchez lost the lower half of his left leg to an IED in Afghanistan.

“It’s not for me — it’s for others to be inspired, to be motivated,” Sanchez said after completing the marathon in under six hours. He continued, “We live for others. I’ve learned that throughout being angry and frustrated and all that PTSD. I’m channeling that to do positive and give back to whatever I’ve taken from the community.”

Sanchez further expressed his motivation for running, saying, “I wanted to not only recognize veterans and stuff, but everyone that thinks that they’re unable to do something. I couldn’t stand up for more than three seconds or walk more than two feet, and I fought my way for four, five years, just to be able to walk farther, be able to lift my body up. And I kept on pushing it. Mentally and spiritually I was good, so I wanted to push it even further and do the marathon.”

Instead of making excuses and dwelling on the traumatic experience of losing his leg, he chose to look for the positives and act on those opportunities that presented themselves. Staff Sgt. Sanchez is truly an inspiration to us all. Semper Fi, Marine!