U.S. Marine Sgt. Jose Luis Sanchez was hit by an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan in October 2011. Sanchez had his amputated below the knee, and his right leg remains scarred.

Four and a half years later, Sanchez raced in the Boston Marathon as a para-athlete.

The wounded warrior ran his first race during the Marine Corps Marathon last October.

Sanchez told UPROXX that the Marine Corps Marathon literally “broke” him; he fractured his leg, hurt his knee and spent the next two weeks in a wheelchair. Sanchez said he ran the marathon to show that survivors of all shades could face their fears and accomplish goals that seem impossible.

I just wanted to do it to prove a point. That everyone’s afraid and that’s okay. So I did it, and I thought I’d never do a marathon again. Yet here I am going to Boston. It hit me in January or February, and I just felt that I had to run the Boston Marathon. I wanted to run the race and support the bombing survivors, to show them that life goes on and all you have to do is just push through it.

Throughout the marathon, Sanchez’s Facebook tracked his progress. Encouragement flooded his page with every update, spurring him to keep moving forward. Around 5:30 p.m., his page posted a video showing Sanchez crossing the finish line.

Congrats on finishing the race, Sanchez! Semper Fi!