After his 2-year span of 48 brain surgeries, Matt spent the better part of 5 years in a wheelchair. There were times when it seemed like he would not make it home from the hospital, let alone ever walk again. Nevertheless, Matt always stuck to his own motto: “Find Your Limitations and Break Through Them.”

At his high school graduation in 2015, Matt walked on stage to receive his diploma. Earlier that week, he addressed his class at the school’s Baccalaureate ceremony. He reiterated a goal he had been telling friends and family since 2007: “I WILL run in the Boston Marathon some day.”

Because of COVID-19, participants in the 2021 Boston Marathon were given the opportunity to take part in the marathon remotely, or “virtually.” Matt took advantage of this to fulfill his lifelong dream. He and his sister Katie registered for the virtual Boston Marathon, and Matt trained for it throughout the spring, summer, and autumn of 2021. His health was a question at times, as he has a seizure condition that took away whole days previously set aside for training.

But did Matt let those obstacles get in his way? No. On October 9, 2021, he did it! The same weekend runners lined up in Boston for the 125th Boston Marathon, Matt and Katie joined the ranks of the “unicorns,” the rarefied group that can say they have completed the Boston Marathon. They completed the grueling 26.2 miles in just over 11 hours around a designated course around Matt’s home in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Let Matt’s story be an inspiration. As Journey so eloquently put it: “Don’t Stop Believing!”