LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — After surviving a traumatic brain injury at 19, one Lynchburg woman is preparing to take on the New York City Marathon.

She’s running for more than just the finish line.

On Percival’s Island, people enjoy the outdoors one mile at a time.

For Julie Abbott, those miles are helping her prepare for a big moment.

“Everyone knows the New York City Marathon. It’s so exciting,” Abbott said.

Three years ago, Abbott laced up her running shoes for the first time, but her journey to the starting line hasn’t been a straight path.

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19 years ago, Abbott survived a traumatic brain injury after a car accident.

“When I was 19 years old, I was in a car accident… that ended up being a lot worse than I think anybody realized in the moment that it happened,” Abbott said.

Now 38, Abbott has lived with a brain injury for half her life, making this year a significant milestone.

“It started a journey I could’ve never imagined,” she said.

On Nov. 1, Abbott will run the New York City Marathon to raise awareness for the Brain Injury Association.

“I didn’t want to focus on the hard parts and the parts that I was still struggling with. I really wanted to focus on being able to give back to people who were starting this journey,” Abbott said.

As she prepares to take on the Big Apple, Abbott hopes her journey can reach far beyond the finish line.

“My goal is to have fun, and my goal is to do something that helps other people, and that makes people realize that they’re not alone and that there is hope after brain injury,” Abbott said.