Episode 24: Austin Prario and a Guest Appearance from his dad Dave Prario Why We Marathon

Austin Prario was born with a serious heart condition and only has three chambers in his heart. Doctors told his parents seven weeks before his birth, and right around the Boston Marathon, that he would never be a varsity athlete or be able to run a marathon. 

The doctors however didn't know Austin's determination or that his father Dave was a runner too. So Dave decided to run the marathon the next year to support Boston Children's Hospital and he carried Austin across the finish line in one of the most memorable Boston Marathon photos ever.

Yet, the running wouldn't stop there and Austin was determined to run the marathon himself. But you need to understand how Austin's heart functions to really appreciate his effort. On a good day it operates at 90 percent capacity but usually, his oxygen levels are in the 80s. Austin has a great analogy to a bike during this episode to really explain how much harder his heart needs to work to receive the same amount of oxygen as a regular heart.

Austin started training for the 2017 Boston Marathon to also raise money for the same doctors that saved his life at Boston Children's Hospital. He became the first person with three chambers in their heart to finish the Boston Marathon and would go on to do it once more in 2019 to help inspire all children with congenital heart disease.

Conveniently, Austin's dad was home during the interview and was able to share his parts of their story too.