Five years ago, then-21 year old Italian model Lisa Trevisan collapsed on the dance floor of a disco in Venice, and woke from a coma 25 days later, paralyzed and unable to speak more than three words – “Si,” “No,” and “Miami” – the city where she studied English the previous summer. She had suffered a massive stroke from an undiagnosed hole between the upper chambers of her heart. A clot had completely occluded her left middle cerebral artery.

Nevertheless, on November 2, this once-paralyzed stroke survivor now known throughout Italy by her pen name, “Lisa Festa,” crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon in 7 hours and 54 minutes, and celebrated her victory over a condition that once threatened to keep her wheelchair bound and speechless for life. Her completion of the marathon is a testimonial to her indomitable spirit – and her hard work in an Italian clinic equipped with state-of-the-art rehabilitation systems developed by Biodex Medical in the U.S. and Hocoma in Switzerland.

Lisa wrote her first book, "Si, No, Miami" about her five-year struggle to regain the ability to walk and speak. The book is on the reading list of Italian high schools to encourage discussion of overcoming obstacles. Her second book, "Si, Si, New York" will cover her training for and experience in the New York City Marathon. Frankly, I didn't expect her to go so far, so when she came off the Verrazano bridge at the start of the marathon, I joined her. At 16 miles, I gave up and joined her and her training partner Giampaolo Moreschi at the finish line in Central Park Photos of Lisa in therapy by Giampaolo Moreschi