John Tartaglio grew up with a passion for sports, but at age 17, he lost his legs and part of his arm to a rare muscle-eating bacteria. Doctors said that because the amputation was so severe, John would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
Determined, John started physical therapy and through hard work, learned to swim and even drive on his own.
In 2005, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" surprised John by enlisting Derek Jeter to meet John at his school and make the Yankee fan's major league dream come true for a day.
John later began to use prosthetic legs and told Oprah he had plans to run the New York City Marathon. "It clicked in my head, and next thing you know, I'm building these crazy goals for myself," he said in 2009.
Did John ever cross the finish line? "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" found out he'd accomplished that, and so much more.
"Since 'The Oprah Show,' I have had so many amazing things happen in my life," John says. "I was able to cross the finish line that day. It took me 15 hours and 59 minutes. Running the marathon was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life."
Happily, John also recently got married and he and his wife, Jen, have a baby girl. "Today, my biggest struggles are dealing with how to adapt to taking care of my beautiful little girl, but that's definitely a welcomed struggle."
Jen describes her husband as strong and "endlessly positive." "Sometimes, annoyingly so," she jokes. "Sometimes, when I just want to be mad about something, John won't let me."
An all-new season of "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" returns on Sunday, June 1, at 10 p.m. ET on OWN.
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