NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n
Doctors once told Carissa Resek\u2019s parents she might never be able to walk \u2013 but the 31-year-old from Kaysville, Utah, has been proving them wrong ever since.\n<\/p>\n
Born with Apert syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects the shape of her skull, hands, feet, and facial structure, Resek has faced more medical challenges than most people will in a lifetime.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Carissa Elise Resek.<\/p>\n
Carissa Elise Resek<\/p>\n
Despite undergoing more than 40 major surgeries and enduring excruciating treatments like wearing a metal facial brace at age 6, Resek continues to live with recurring infections, sleep apnea, and other lasting impacts of her condition.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Resek has never let her diagnosis define her limits. Her resilience came into the spotlight when a video of her went viral. After unintentionally running 18 miles on her treadmill while watching a movie, she decided to keep going and completed a full marathon with family and friends cheering her on.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cShe never set out to run one,\u201d her older brother, Erick Resek, tells PEOPLE exclusively. \u201cAfter finishing a Harry Potter movie on her phone during a run, she realized she had already logged 18 miles on the treadmill.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
After realizing she was already two-thirds of the way there, Carissa decided eight more miles wouldn\u2019t hurt. She texted a few friends and family, and before long, they were by her side cheering her on.\n<\/p>\n
She finished all 26.2 miles in five hours and 31 minutes, powered only by mini muffins and tap water sipped through a straw.\n<\/p>\n
Before the viral video, the longest Carissa had run was 13 miles.<\/p>\n
Carissa Elise Resek<\/p>\n
As a regular runner \u2013 often logging five to 10 miles a day \u2013 Carissa had completed a treadmill half-marathon before, but this was her first full one.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\u201cShe loves watching movies while running, something she cannot do outdoors,\u201d Erick says. \u201cShe\u2019s raced a few local outdoor 5Ks, and you might spot her at a bigger event someday.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Given that the marathon was spontaneous, Carissa hadn\u2019t consulted a doctor beforehand, but years of consistent running have kept her in excellent shape.\n<\/p>\n
Carissa Resek is famous for the uplifting sidewalk-chalk messages she draws on her driveway.<\/p>\n
Carissa Elise Resek<\/p>\n
Carissa was closely monitored in the days that followed, and luckily, she felt great. She even did her own laundry and vacuumed her room that same day \u2013 waking up the next morning without any soreness.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cNow she says she wants to try again, with some more training and better shoes, and her goal is five hours and 15 minutes,\u201d Erick reveals.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Carissa Resek as a baby and toddler.<\/p>\n
Carissa Elise Resek (2)<\/p>\n
Far from being held back by her condition, Carissa has become an inspiration \u2013 a reminder that strength isn\u2019t about what you\u2019re born with, but what you choose to do with it.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cCarissa has never let her diagnosis slow her down,\u201d Erick explains. \u201cShe graduated from high school, earned a culinary arts degree, and has been steadily employed since she was a teenager.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Carissa Resek wearing a metal facial brace.<\/p>\n
Carissa Elise Resek<\/p>\n
Today, Carissa cares for infants and toddlers at a local daycare, where the kids light up around her. She also helps in the kitchen, thanks to her food handler\u2019s permit.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
A seasoned traveler, she\u2019s explored Europe and spent three years living in Argentina while her parents were there on a church mission. Carissa has also completed her own service mission in Salt Lake City.\n<\/p>\n
Carissa Resek baking cookies.<\/p>\n
Carissa Elise Resek<\/p>\n
Carissa, who is also fluent in Spanish, is known for memorizing movie lines, cooking, swimming \u2013 and now, thanks to her viral video, running with unstoppable determination.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cAround the neighborhood, she is famous for the uplifting sidewalk-chalk messages she draws on the driveway, or showing up at your door with a fresh batch of cookies she baked from scratch,\u201d Erick shares.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n