JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It's a nine mile run that has become more than just a race in Jacksonville. The Gate River Run is now a tradition. Steven Walker knows it well. He has crossed this finish line five times. "I've done it so many times, but this will be the first time running it in my condition," said Walker.
A rare bacteria put Walker in the hospital last April. He almost never made it out. "In order to save my life, they had to amputate my hands and legs and part of my face," said Walker.
Saturday he joined other amputees running in the big race. "I don't really think it will be that big of a challenge except for maybe the pain on my nubs," Walker said.
"There kind of like big shock absorbers. So when he runs, it absorbs the shock and propels it forward," said prostetist, Geoffry Hemmen.
This isn't the first time athletes missing an arm or leg have run in the Gate River Run. That said, Walker would be the first quadruple amputee to finish the race, thanks to Geoffrey Hemmen. "Making the legs is the easy part. What he is doing is the hard part," said Hemmen.
"You have to put your disability behind you and push with what you can do," said Walker. Walker may have to train differently now, but he says his strong will is what always got him across the finish line year after year.
Steven Walker was only able to get through mile six this year. He says he will try to complete the Gate River Run again. He says he also hopes to eventually run a half and full-marathon.
