PARALYZED TEEN RUNS CHICAGO MARATHON IN 3:56:28

A Kentucky teen who was paralyzed from the neck down less than a year ago just ran a full marathon. Wyatt Anderson crossed the Chicago finish line in 3:56:28.

Anderson, 17, a senior at St. Xavier High School in Louisville, completed the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 11, 2026. He ran it alongside his brother, Jack Anderson.

Anderson said he was playing basketball with friends in November 2025 when he tripped going for a rebound and struck a wall headfirst.

“I blacked out right after for a little bit, and I couldn’t move any limb on my body,” he told ABC News.

The fall fractured his spine. He was taken to UofL Hospital in Louisville and had surgery to fuse it, then moved on to Frazier Rehab Institute and outpatient therapy.

KSBW reported that his recovery included regaining movement and chasing goals like eating on his own and walking down a hallway.

The marathon dream started with a story from his therapist about a man who ran marathons in 50 states in one year while using a wheelchair.

“That just, like, blew my mind and motivated me,” Anderson said.

“I set a goal to run a marathon within a year without being able to walk at the time,” he told WDRB/WAVE.

He got there in steps. In April 2026, he finished the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon, a 13.1-mile race.

In Chicago, the brothers ran to raise money for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the New York Post reported. The foundation supports spinal cord injury research and people affected by paralysis.

Anderson’s friend Boone Wilcox told Spectrum News 1: “It really does feel great knowing that we were there from the beginning, from once that incident happened, and then now seeing him being able to run half marathons and full marathons.”

Anderson said he hopes his recovery and marathon journey will inspire others.

On October 15, 2026, Anderson spoke to spinal cord injury patients at UofL, KSBW reported.