Survivor remembers Oct. 1 shooting by running 5K with 20-pound vest

When Christina Gruber runs, all Sandy Larsen can see is her blond ponytail swaying back and forth.

Watching Gruber go, you can’t tell she is a survivor of the Oct. 1 shooting, said Larsen, who trains for triathlons with Gruber. At one point, Gruber, 43, had 10 pieces of shrapnel in her right leg and her left had another eight, all from bullets that rained down on the Route 91 Harvest festival in 2017.

To remember those who died and were injured, Gruber, Larsen and about 20 others will be running or walking as part of the Vegas Strong 5K on Sunday. Gruber will also be wearing a 20-pound vest — which represents the metaphorical weight survivors carry in their hearts and the literal weight of people that first responders had to carry during the shooting.

The run/walk will begin at the Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar at 5 a.m. and will make its way to Mandalay Bay. Gruber and the rest of the participants will take in a moment of silence at the gates where she exited that night and then will circle the venue.

First instinct: Run

“My first instinct after we heard the shots was to run … I truly believe running saved my life that night,” Gruber said. “Every year I run that race. I put my passion and marry it with an event that I was personally affected by.”

Last year, she had the last piece of shrapnel removed from her leg.

The dime-sized piece narrowly missed an artery, and before it was removed she felt its sharp edge poking her from the inside.

“I’ve had to do a lot of self-work. I’m a lot stronger than I thought I was,” she said, looking back on the progress she has made. “I feel I was saved for a reason, and I vow to make the best of that time and make the best of it while I’m here on this earth.”

Pushing her body is how she copes with the mental hurdles she still has from that day.

“I use racing and triathlons to get over the mental hurdles that come about so often,” she said. “I’m definitely making strong improvements with each race that I do and I use that outlet as a healing source.”

Lucky to be alive

She is an inspiration, said Larsen, who is 17 years older than Gruber.

“The story she shared with me — she’s lucky to be alive,” Larsen said. “She’s one of those individuals who can flip a negative into a positive. It’s almost contagious.”

The two first met while organizing a triathlon group where women could train together safely in the valley.

“She really believes that the bullet shards were from a bullet that hit someone else. I just started crying. I don’t know how you can ever go through that,” Larsen said. She remembers she was at home glued to the news trying to understand what happened.

A few days after the massacre, during a bike ride with hundreds of cyclists, Larsen remembers that as they passed Mandalay Bay, and everyone fell silent.

“You can’t grasp it. This was supposed to be a fun night — everyone was dressed up and everyone was laughing,” she said.

Larsen has seen Gruber fight through the tough mental obstacles that come with surviving the massacre.

“She keeps pushing through. She’s very strong and she doesn’t give up,” Larsen said. “When she sets a goal — she means it.”

Contact Alex Chhith at achhith@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0290. Follow @alexchhith on Twitter.