Paraplegic bride loses 192 lbs, walks on wedding day

When Rob Dietrich carried Tami Martin out of the church as his new bride, she'd just finished the most important walk of her life.
"I walked down the aisle publicly after being told I would never walk again," Martin said.
She says doctors told her she would never make it the 63 feet with her walker tucked beneath her white dress, but Martin is not the type to accept no for an answer.
After spending the last fifteen years as a paraplegic, setting and achieving goals has become a way of life for Martin.
Martin broke her back in what seemed like a minor car accident with major injuries on October 25, 1999.
"There wasn't a physical mark on my body," Martin said. "Everything was internal. My spine was crushed between L1 and L2."
Physical therapy was difficult for Martin and she experienced a major set back in her recovery.
"I'd taken a break because I gained a lot of weight, and I broke my leg doing physical therapy," she explained.
A surgical procedure helped her lose the extra weight. She credits her success to perseverance, sheer will and the support of her groom.
"The last time I weighed I had lost 192 pounds," Martin said. "I had always been fit before. I said I might not walk, but there is no way I'm going to be out of shape."
She believes her will power was found in a higher power. Her faith carries her onward.

"And now my goal is to walk again on my own without the aid of anything," she said.