The 25-year-old McGrory finished the 26.2-mile course in 1 hour, 50 minutes, 24 seconds. (The previous women’s record was set in 2007 by Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland in 1:52:38.)

“It was fabulous, I couldn’t ask for a better day weather-wise. I felt great and pulled away at the halfway mark, was feeling strong and took it home.” McGrory said.

She also won the Paris and London Marathons one week apart this year. The weekend prior to the NYC Marathon, she finished second in a marathon in Japan. McGrory is a four-time Paralympic medalist; in 2008 she medaled in four out of her five races.

At the age of five, Amanda was diagnosed with a rare disease called transverse myelitis, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. She immediately adapted to life in a wheelchair and began searching for ways to remain active. At the age of 10, her parents enrolled her in a wheelchair sports program in southeastern Pennsylvania, and so began her love of wheelchair racing.

While she competed in both basketball and track and field at the University of Illinois, she says track and field is definitely her favorite. In May of 2010, McGrory graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor's in Psychology. She currently still lives in Champaign, Illinois, where she continues to train and work part time.

From The Associated Press 2011