Melburnian

EIGHT months after being stabbed twice in his left knee, 25-year-old accounts manager Amrish Jusrut is about to run the race of his life.

Jusrut, set upon by two young men on a train in February, has since undergone an operation and several painful months of rehabilitation. He will tackle all 21.1km of the half-marathon in next month’s Melbourne Marathon.

The attack on Mr Jusrut happened just after his return from seven months working in the Middle East.

Jumping on a train into the city at Coburg he was approached by two drunk men.

“They asked me for money and I had none on me,'’ Mr Jusrut said.

“When I refused to give him my phone, they pulled out a knife and they stabbed me twice in the left knee.

“At the time it went in I didn’t feel anything, I didn’t realise I had been stabbed until I saw the blood on the train floor.'’

It was during his regular drives to physiotherapy sessions at the Royal Melbourne Hospital that Mr Jusrut began dreaming of running a half-marathon.

“On my way there and on my way back I would always see people running,'’ he said.

“For once I wanted to do that and I couldn’t, but I felt really, really bad about that.'’

Initially Mr Jusrut, who used a wheelchair and then walking aids, struggled to even get upright.

“Standing up was difficult, every time I was putting my feet on the ground it would hurt,'’ he said.

Months later, after much persistence, Mr Jusrut has completed the marathon route several times already, albeit at a slower pace than he expects to race at.

“It’s going to be the longest thing I’ve ever done, the most ambitious thing,'’ he said.

Mr Jusrut hopes it will lead to running the full marathon next year.

This year’s marathon will be on Sunday, October 7, starting and finishing at the MCG. Up to 15,000 competitors are expected.

Details: www.melbournemarathon.com.au