CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — A trip to Boston has become a big part of former Marine and Chambersburg native Zach Stinson's life.
After a deployment in Afghanistan in 2010, Stinson suffered catastrophic injuries from an IED explosion.
As a result, he picked up hand-cycling in 2012 and, since then, has been cruising his way to multiple victories, including his third win at the Boston Marathon, which comes with a new personal record time of one hour four minutes and forty-seven seconds.
“I've had so many issues over the years with the course, losing chains and having to stop," said Stinson. "I was super careful this time and fortunate I was able to maintain a lead."
This win is one more on Stinson's resume, but also a building block for things to come. He's training to represent the country again in Paris for the Paralympics.
"We are shooting for the Paralympics," said Stinson "I was on the world's team last year [but] I got sick in Scotland so I didn’t have my best performance. I'm hoping to redeem that on an international stage with para-cycling."
Stinson's journey has been one of perseverance, and another Boston Marathon win is a huge accomplishment to add.
"It's exciting I was just trying to enjoy Boylston as much as I can," said Stinson "It's always a good time up there especially getting together with a bunch of teammates and just competing."
Stinson's next races are planned for Belgium and Italy, which serve as the preliminary races for the 2024 Paralympics which are set to begin in late August of 2024.