Boston Marathon bombing survivor Mery Daniel takes up racing after losing leg

Although Mery Daniel had always wanted to enter an athletic race, she never got around to it until after she lost part of her leg in the Boston Marathon bombing. The explosion at the finish line killed three people and injured 264 others. The blast cost Daniel her left leg below the knee.

Since the bombing, she has completed four races while riding a hand-cycle. The longest race was a 27-mile ride to help veterans.

"Time is just an illusion really," said Daniel, 31. "[Racing is] something I actually always wanted to do before the accident, but I got more of a drive for it, more of a determination afterwards."

Physical therapists introduced Daniel to her hand-cycle and she "fell in love" with it.

During her most recent race, a 5K to benefit people with autism for the Charles River Center, Daniel raced alongside her husband while he pushed their 5-year-old in a stroller.

"What I love about it is that sense of completion every time you finish a race," Daniel said. "Especially because you're helping. I'm very proud and excited that the Charles River Center is bringing awareness to autism. I think it's a very good cause."