​When Amy Downs thinks about her life, it splits into two distinct sections: before the bombing and after the bombing.

Before the bombing, Amy’s life had fallen into a predictable pattern. She went to work, came home, ate dinner, watched TV and went to bed. After she moved away from her hometown and gotten married a few years earlier, she’d gained weight quickly—100 pounds in one year. “And I was too embarrassed to come home,” says Downs. “This was before cell phones and email and all of that.” Relationships with her friends and family suffered.

But then, one spring day, when Amy was 28, a tragedy ripped Amy’s life in half. She vowed to change her life completely.

This episode of Human Race is brought to you by Brooks. Sign up for the Brooks Big Endorsement and become a sponsored athlete at www.BrooksAthlete.com/rw.

Credits:

Host and Producer: Rachel Swaby

Editing help: Christine Fennessy, Brian Dalek

Theme Music: Danny Cocke

Human Race is proud part of Panoply

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices