One couple going the extra mile in Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
By Alyse Jones
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OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — Just three days from the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, thousands of people are getting ready to Race to Remember.
One group will be running with a bigger purpose, with one couple saying it’s just another challenge they plan to overcome.
On Sunday, thousands of people will cross the finish line at Scissortail Park, adding their name to a list of less than 1 percent of the world’s population: a marathon finisher.
But for one couple, 26.2 miles is one of many hurdles they’ll face together.
Jessica Rose Johnson and her husband, Andrew Johnson, are veterans, athletes, and soon-to-be marathon finishers.
The couple used to compete in military games, but their world was flipped upside down in 2009 when Andrew Johnson was first diagnosed with brain cancer.
In 2020, their vows of in sickness and in health gained a whole new meaning.
“Due to a lot of complications with surgery, treatment, those kinds of things, unfortunately, Andrew has been reliant on a wheelchair for over two years, has been nonverbal for almost three years now,” Jessica Johnson said.
However, Jessica Johnson said their love of competing together doesn’t have to end because of a diagnosis.
“Originally we thought oh I’ll do the relay and the full and I’ll just push Andrew through the first 5K but when they restructured it, it was a 10k and I was like if I’m going to push him for an hour, I might as well push him for a couple more hours,” she said.
A group of friends will run by their side on Sunday, taking turns pushing Andrew Johnson and each other every stop of the way.
“People who knew us before, it’s a struggle and a grieving process for them. They have to say this is the Andrew we once knew and loved, but this is the Andrew we have now, so it’s a way for him to be exposed to other people and just get us out in the community,” Jessica Johnson said.
She said their story is a reminder not to let your circumstances take away your joy.
“We’ve been through so much more hard times in our life, and we only know one way and it’s to go through it,” Jessica Johnson said.
She said once they reach the finish line, there’s one more challenge before they celebrate. She plans to help Andrew Johnson stand up and walk across the finish line, soaking in how far they’ve come and how much more they have to accomplish together.
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