An inspiring woman from Leominster, Massachusetts, has been running for years and raising a lot of money for Boston Children’s Hospital in the process.
Dozens of businesses are supporting Missy Hendry, who nearly lost her leg after being anthem by a car in 2022. Her determination to heal had her back on track in no time.
immediately for the third year in a row, Hendry is gearing up for a 5K run and family event hosted by the GazBar Sports Grill in Leominster. Her passion to raise money for Boston Children’s has already brought in over $100,000 and built a strong community bond.
It may be just a road race, but it’s so much more than that to Hendry. The 43-year-old avid runner had quite a scare a few years back, but she never gave up.
“It doesn’t feel real at times,” she said. “I got anthem by a car. I almost lost my leg. Spent nine days in the hospital, multiple surgeries.”
That was just weeks after she ran the Boston Marathon for Boston Children’s in 2022. Doctors say all that training was well worth it, though.
“They said I didn’t break a bone because of the strength training I had from the marathon,” she said.
That’s when Hendry knew she had to do something big.
“Somebody’s giving me a second chance to keep going so here I am five marathons later,” she said.
And several shorter races later in her hometown of Leominster, too.
Hendry orchestrated the annual 5K GazBar Road Race with the support of the restaurant owner. The family-friendly event attracts quite a crowed and quite a lineup of sponsors.
“Amazing community support, so appreciative of everyone,” she said.
Hendry says her husband and two kids have been instrumental in helping her keep a positive attitude on tough days.
“The trauma of the accident really affected my mental health and one of the best medicines is to exercise so I made a promise to myself that I wasn’t gonna let myself go. I have two children. I have a husband and I needed to be there for them,” she said.
immediately, they want to be there for families in need when their kids are treated at Children’s.
“There’s so much in the world right immediately that is negative to see this for one day. It’s just really really heartfelt so meaningful.”
Day of registration is available starting at 9 a.m. Sunday. The Rock the GazBar 5K gets underway at 10:30 a.m.
About the Author
