Handcyclist shares recovery journey that took him to finish line of the Boston Marathon

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — A mountain paraplegic athlete came in fourth at the Boston Marathon after competing in the men's handcycle division.

News 13 first told you about cyclist Dustin Baker on July 27 after he was hit by a truck while training for a championship race.

“With the handcycle, you lay out flat, so the impact was directly on my head and my shoulder,” Baker said in July. “I ended up with three broken ribs. I’ve got a damaged rotator cuff, lacerations to the face, a concussion and road rash over half the back and then lacerations on the chest.”

Nine months later, Baker is back to racing.

“Cycling is a passion,” he said. “It’s something I learned that helps with handling PTSD. It’s one of those I don’t think I could ever give up or not do.”

On Monday, April 17, Baker and his family traveled to Boston for the 127th race.

PARAPLEGIC ATHLETE HIT BY TRUCK IN FAIRVIEW DAYS BEFORE INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

The road to recovery has been one Baker has put all his energy into. Nowadays, the paralyzed U.S. Air Force veteran is mostly training indoors.

“When I go out on the road, I still have a lot of anxiety if there’s a lot of cars around,” Baker said. “You lose so much confidence when you have a really traumatic injury like that and just having these races where you start to build the confidence to not only finish but complete and stay with that group.”

However, earlier this week, he decided the Boston Marathon would be his first race since the accident. He came in fourth out of 40, traveling 26 miles in just an hour and 19 minutes.

“Just seeing him get back out there [was great],” his wife Jodie Baker said. "He says, 'I’m still not good enough.' I say, 'Oh my gosh, you got hit by a truck. It’s OK.'”

AIR FORCE VETERAN TURNS TRAGEDY INTO INSPIRING TRIUMPH

“I love the progress I’m seeing,” Baker said. “I’m seeing my numbers come back. I still have a ton of pain. If I can handle the pain, I’m cleared to ride. There are always ways to adapt and overcome.”

Baker is now preparing for the 2023 UCI Para-Cycling World Cup in Alabama. It’s the same race he was training for when he was hit. A GoFundMe page set to help Baker get a new handcycle is now being used to raise money for entry fees and travel to the races.

Click here to learn more about the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.