Erika Brannock talks about throwing out the first pitch tonight at Camden Yards
There will be a very special first pitch ceremony tonight at Camden Yards. It will be thrown by Erika Brannock, a 29-year-old teacher at a Towson preschool.
It was almost a year ago when Erika lost part of her left leg in the Boston Marathon bombing. She was near the finish line to watch her mom, Carol Downing, finish the race.
Erika's comeback from her injuries in Boston has been very inspirational. She certainly has a strong attachment now to both cities and it's only natural that if she is going to throw out the first pitch at Camden Yards, she do so with the Red Sox in town.
"I am really excited to do it but at the same time I'm nervous that I won't throw it straight," she said with a laugh a few moments ago. "It's really cool to do it, especially with this game between the Orioles and Red Sox which are two teams that have really done a lot for me. Both cities have a special place in my heart. It's really exciting."
Her recovery is going well, she said.
"I had a setback in January, found out I had a bone infection. But the last two or three weeks I've been really going hard at physical therapy to get back to where I was and I've gotten back into my walking really quickly. It's going really well."
Erika will be back at the Boston Marathon coming up on April 21st.
"Our whole family will be back up there," she said. "My mom, my sister, brother-in-law and I. My mom is going to run the marathon again. She's going to finish it and we'll be at the finish line to hug and celebrate with her.
"I think it is going to be very emotional but really healing at the same time to kind of bring closure to the whole experience and show everyone that helped me in the city and the staff at Beth Israel medical center the progress I've made and the determination that I am not going to let this change who I am. Just want to thank them and it will be an emotional trip for sure."
Erika said during an interview earlier today that she would love to throw out the first pitch to Chris Davis, her favorite player. Has she heard if that will happen here tonight?
"I have not. Maybe that is a surprise they are keeping, but that would be really awesome," she said.
It was almost a year ago when Erika lost part of her left leg in the Boston Marathon bombing. She was near the finish line to watch her mom, Carol Downing, finish the race.
Erika's comeback from her injuries in Boston has been very inspirational. She certainly has a strong attachment now to both cities and it's only natural that if she is going to throw out the first pitch at Camden Yards, she do so with the Red Sox in town.
"I am really excited to do it but at the same time I'm nervous that I won't throw it straight," she said with a laugh a few moments ago. "It's really cool to do it, especially with this game between the Orioles and Red Sox which are two teams that have really done a lot for me. Both cities have a special place in my heart. It's really exciting."
Her recovery is going well, she said.
"I had a setback in January, found out I had a bone infection. But the last two or three weeks I've been really going hard at physical therapy to get back to where I was and I've gotten back into my walking really quickly. It's going really well."
Erika will be back at the Boston Marathon coming up on April 21st.
"Our whole family will be back up there," she said. "My mom, my sister, brother-in-law and I. My mom is going to run the marathon again. She's going to finish it and we'll be at the finish line to hug and celebrate with her.
"I think it is going to be very emotional but really healing at the same time to kind of bring closure to the whole experience and show everyone that helped me in the city and the staff at Beth Israel medical center the progress I've made and the determination that I am not going to let this change who I am. Just want to thank them and it will be an emotional trip for sure."
Erika said during an interview earlier today that she would love to throw out the first pitch to Chris Davis, her favorite player. Has she heard if that will happen here tonight?
"I have not. Maybe that is a surprise they are keeping, but that would be really awesome," she said.
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