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Hippo attack survivor running Disney 5K
Josh Cascio reports
ODESSA, Fla. - Kristen Yaldor is lucky to be alive. During a vacation in Zimbabwe, just a little more than a year ago, a hippopotamus overturned her canoe and dragged her underwater.
She’s been through 14 surgeries and is still not 100%. But she's pushing through the pain to reach a major milestone: Running the Disney 5K.
“The last year has been very difficult, I’ve been quite immobile," Yaldor told FOX 13's Josh Cascio. “This goal has given me that drive and motivation to have that accomplishment again and get back to where I was before the accident.”
She says positivity has been the driving force getting her to Thursday's race.
Yaldo will hit the ground running in a “Hippo Survivor” shirt and her husband will be by her side in an outfit of his own.
”I asked him to dress up like a hippo as a fun silly way to throw this back and say, 'I done it,'” she said. “It is not a matter of time. It’s a matter of accomplishment and being at that finish line and knowing I’ve come this far.”
Besides her own goal, she’s also running to raise money for muscular dystrophy awareness and research.
LINK: For more information about Yaldor's road to the race and her fundraising efforts, visit https://www.facebook.com/donate/1077907745749694/.