From paralysis to the finish line: Marion Jones gears up for Chicago Marathon

CHICAGO - A runner who once couldn’t walk will soon be racing toward the finish line of the Chicago Marathon.

Her journey is remarkable after battling a rare autoimmune disease.

Marion Jones has already conquered the New York Marathon, and now she’s gearing up for the Chicago race on Sunday. She said it’s been quite the journey to get here.

"I was dragging my right leg, going into the ER. They put the line in my neck and what they were doing was – they were, in small increments, removing blood from my body and taking the plasma out of that blood," Jones said. " I was on long-term disability, learning to walk." 

Jones, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, currently lives in Chicago. She said it all started with a headache in 2020, and she was rushed to the emergency room. What followed was a shocking diagnosis.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, or NMO, is a rare autoimmune disease that left her paralyzed. 

For almost a year, her body was at war with itself, attacking her spinal cord and leaving her unable to stand, let alone walk. Doctors gave her little hope for recovery. 

In 2021, she entered rehab, determined to do the impossible: walk again. One step turned into another, and before long, Jones wasn’t just walking; she was running.

She showed off her New York City Marathon medal, a race she completed last year without telling her doctors.

Now, this unstoppable force is gearing up for the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 13. Her mission? To earn a six-star finisher medal, a coveted honor awarded to runners who complete all six major world marathons.

She is still fighting, as there is no cure for the disease. 

"I receive, I currently receive infusions every other week. So every other week, I'm in a hospital receiving infusions to, to keep things at bay and to keep me healthy and getting stronger," Jones said. "You know, just a couple of years ago, I couldn't walk. So to be there, to be representing, you know, people who are in this space, in this rare community who, you know, still cannot walk, who are in wheelchairs – that was a win for me. So I just wanted to finish the race healthy, uninjured, and I did that. And so for Chicago, I want to show off. I want to give it my all," Jones said. 

Jones also said she will run the New York City Marathon for a second time and she's confirmed for a spot in the London Marathon in 2025.