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Jamie and Amy Shinneman met at Noblesville High School in 1989. Amy was born with an undiagnosed neuromuscular disease that causes very weak muscles and affects her ability to walk. She has never had the opportunity to run in her entire life.
Two-time Boston Marathon finisher Jamie Shinneman is training with his wife Amy, who has Muscular Distrophy, in a Duo bike chair to lead her to her first-ever finish line at the Chicago Marathon in October. (Photo provided)
After high school, Jamie and Amy went their separate ways and attended different colleges, and then got back together and married in 1999. Their mission since the beginning has been to continue to search, as Amy’s parents had done her entire life, to find a diagnosis for this condition that affects everything she does. They continued to seek out different doctors, and finally after genetic testing and testing of her parents, when Amy was 44 years old, she got her answer.
A diagnosis of Congenital Muscular Dystrophy was confirmed. She has a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy called Bethlem Myopathy.
During their marriage they had two sons, who both became interested in running at a young age. Jamie, who had played soccer in high school, but was never a runner, began to run with his two young boys so they would not have to go out on runs alone. Jamie fell in love with running himself, and it has become a family affair.
Amy has cheered all three on in many different races over the years, and most recently cheered Jamie on to his second Boston Marathon finish, where he ran to raise money and awareness with MDA’s Team Momentum. After running that race, and through some connections made during the Boston Marathon with their national MDA Team Momentum director, they were able to secure a racing chair so Jamie and Amy could train for their first ever marathon together. Amy is able to experience life as a “runner” and experience what it feels like to train for a marathon, and ultimately cross her first finish line.
The couple is set to run at the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 13. They continue to raise funds to help support research and find a cure for Muscular Dystrophy. Every Saturday, they hit the Monon for their long run of the week and have had a tremendous amount of positive feedback from those they encounter along the Monon. The racing chair is a real conversation starter.
Amy and Jamie hope to share their story to inspire others to keep pushing and keep trying even when you don’t have answers. Amy has never let her disability stop her from living her life. She just does life in a different way than most.
Please consider sharing this inspirational story to help raise funds for Muscular Dystrophy research and show others that you can achieve your dreams, even if it doesn’t happen in the typical way.
For more on their journey, please check out Amy’s Facebook page or on Instagram.