Nev Schulman broke his neck in a bike accident on August 5, and on November 3, he will run the New York City Marathon.
The Catfish star will serve as a blind runner guide to his friend Francesco Magisano when he runs the iconic course for the seventh time.
Schulman, 40, broke the C5 and C6 vertebrae in his neck this summer when he collided with a truck while riding his bike to pick his son up from school. He underwent emergency spinal surgery at the Southampton Emergency Room and Stony Brook ICU.
Within days, he was able to post updates via his Instagram to assure fans that he was not paralyzed and was on the mend.
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“As you can see, I’m up and about,” he said in a video posted on August 20, in which he could be seen walking while wearing a neck brace. “Finishing a little neighborhood stroll which was recommended to me by my physical therapist to keep my body moving.”
“I never had such fatigue from a 10-minute walk but I’m almost home now,” he added. “I mainly just wanted to get on here to say thank you.”
Though Schulman made a quick recovery, he initially told Magisano that he may not be able to serve as his guide in the marathon.
“About two weeks after the accident, he texted me, ‘How are you feeling?’ I said, ‘I’m feeling terrible, and you should probably look for a new guide,’” Schulman told People. “He said, ‘Nev, I’m not going to find a new guide. Take your time, get better. And I don’t care how fast or slow we go, I really want you to be my guide.’”
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“And honestly, this was a very inspiring part of my recovery,” he added.
Three days after his injury, Schulman was able to get out of bed in his room in the ICU. After his release, he spent five weeks recovering at home alongside his wife Laura Perlongo and three kids: Cleo James, 7, Beau Bobby Bruce, 5, and Cy Monroe, 2.
Doctors finally cleared him for the marathon in mid-September, and he confirmed to his followers that he was ready to run on Sunday, October 27.
“The voice in my head keeps reminding me I’m just lucky to be here,” he wrote via Instagram. “Feeling blessed that I get another chance to run the NYC Marathon November 3rd. Thank you for all the love and support.”