Marathon Bomb Victim Is Featured Speaker at March’s Women’s Forum

Allison Byrne, a marathon runner and bomb victim of last year’s Boston Marathon, will speak at the March 4 meeting of the Beacon Hill Women’s Forum, an organization formed last May to connect and inspire neighborhood women.

April 15th marks the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing. As the city remembers the devastating events that occurred nearly a year ago, Bryne will give a firsthand account of how it was like to be affected. She had been running the 2013 Boston Marathon as a way of grieving the recent loss of her only sibling, her younger sister, who had recently passed after a difficult battle with breast cancer. Compounding the grief of losing her only sibling, Allison’s 3-year-old dog was run over less than one month after her sister’s passing.

To honor them both, Byrne, who had previously run several 10k races and triathlons, decided to run her first marathon.  While the training and race were intended to help in the processing of this grief, no one could have foreseen the unlikely end to her quest to make the finish line. As she was sprinting down Boylston Street just roughly 200 yards from the finish line, one of the bombs stopped her from achieving this goal.  Suddenly this active young lady found herself unable to move, facing multiple surgeries and uncertain of her future.

Despite the tragic events that spanned 10 months of her life, her spirit is bright and she continues to thrive and enjoy life.  A resident of downtown Boston since 1999, she is married to Josh Byrne. They have a dog, Finnegan.

The meeting, which includes appetizers and a cash bar, will be held from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Hampshire House. There is an annual $50 joining fee and $20 charge for each meeting. Members and guests may register online at www.beaconhillwomensforum.com.  For more information, email [email protected].

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