MyBESTRuns

Adam Gorlitsky sold T-shirts that said I Got Legs is going to run the Portland Marathon

This weekend the Portland marathon kicks off a new era with a new name—the Portlandathon. Thousands of people will participate and among them, is Adam Gorlitsky. His goal? Improving the lives of the disabled community one step at a time. Gorlitsky flew into Portland from South Carolina to walk the half marathon, even though he’s paralyzed from the waist down. “It's going to be an awesome day,” he said. “I used to run track and cross country in high school.” That was before a car accident in 2005 turned him into a paraplegic. Gorlitsky never thought he'd race again until a doctor's appointment two years ago and new technology that changed everything-- the robotic exoskeleton. “Honestly, from the second I stood up I was like, ‘I gotta do road races!’,” Gorlitsky said. To help afford the $85,000 exoskeleton, Gorlitsky sold T-shirts that said: “I Got Legs." Last year, he turned that slogan into a non-profit with the same name. “Our mission is to improve the lives of the disabled community,” Gorlitsky said.

posted Friday October 5th