The runner within Mary McManus was born in her imagination. When Mary received the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December, 2006, she knew she was at a crossroads in her life. She was told to prepare to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair and to leave her award-winning social work career if there were any hope of staving off the progressive nature of the disease. In February of 2007, Mary got still and asked for Divine Guidance. The answer to her prayer? A poem called "Running the Race" that foreshadowed her 2009 Boston Marathon run. In "A Most Unlikely Runner: Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior", Mary takes you through her magnificent journey of transformation with poetry and narrative that will uplift and inspire you. After a setback in 2021/2022 and, after a six year hiatus from participating in events, Mary set her sights on tackling the Bermuda Hills in the 2024 10K celebrating 17 years of healing, and her 70th birthday intent on sharing her powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities!