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Three years after he medically retired from the U.S. Navy with a permanent disability, former U.S. Navy diver Julius “Jay” McManus is closing in on completing a long-awaited mission: He’s preparing to compete Sunday in the 47th Marine Corps Marathon as a push-rim athlete.

“I’m a father of three. I run to show my family and my community that regardless of the obstacles, we can always overcome, we can keep pushing forward,” McManus said. “The true reality of it is there’s a large selfish part of that, too. I’m not just running to show them, but I’m running to prove to myself that I’m better than my injuries. I’m better today than I was yesterday, and I will continue to improve tomorrow.”