Nev Schulman Runs NYC Marathon 3 Months After Broken Neck (Exclusive)

• Nev Schulman broke his neck in a cycling accident in August and assumed he would not be able to run the New York City Marathon this year
• He describes his tough recovery journey and how his body was able to “bounce back” from the spinal cord injury
• After cramming three months of training into eight weeks, he will run the marathon on November 3 as a blind running guide for his friend Francesco

When Neve Schulman He suffered a broken neck in a bicycle accident on August 5, which ruined his plan to run the New York City Marathon for the seventh time. He was having a hard time with it. That’s because this year someone depended on him.

The Catfish star, 40, is registered as a blind runner guide for his friend Francesco Magisano through the Achilles International Foundation.

“About two weeks after the accident he texted me, ‘How are you feeling?’ I said, ‘I feel terrible, and you should probably look for a new guide,'” Schulman tells PEOPLE. ‘He said, ‘Nev, I’m not going to look for a new guide. Take your time, get better. And I don’t care how fast or slow we go, I really want you to be my guide.’”

“And honestly, this was a very inspiring part of my recovery,” he recalls.

That moment changed Schulman’s perspective on the trajectory of his injury and motivated him to get back on his feet.

“I’m in a brace. I’m in bed. I’m devastated for a million reasons. And for the first time I think, ‘Okay, wait a minute. Maybe there is a chance if he counts on me,” he says.

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When Schulman broke his neck, he was lucky that the accident did not leave him paralyzed. He was treated in the Southampton emergency department and Stony Brook ICU, and recalled a “pretty rough” first week in hospital.

The Dancing with the stars Alum felt uncomfortable as he adjusted to wearing a neck brace and dealing with the pain of emergency spinal surgery. But once there were signs that he had no permanent nerve damage, he breathed a sigh of relief.

It took just three days for Schulman to get out of bed and walk around the intensive care unit, which surprised all his doctors and nurses. “I knew how lucky I was and it gave me a lot of hope,” he says.

In addition, Schulman spent the next five weeks at home with limited mobility, which he said he struggled with three young children. He shares children Cleo James, 7, Beau Bobby Bruce, 5, and Cy Monroe, 2, with his wife Laura Perlongo.

But in the back of his mind, all Schulman could think about was the upcoming marathon and the crucial training he had to miss.

“I kept thinking, ‘All that hard work I’ve been doing is kind of fading away,’” he says. “But I also understood that I just had to be patient and know that this little bit of time I take to let my body heal is much more important than anything else.”

Schulman was cleared by his doctors in mid-September and his body responded well to physical activity. After his first run he saw the “light at the end of the tunnel” and immediately felt better, not only physically but also mentally.

“I need to move my body for my own mental health,” he explains. “Running, as I discovered in my thirties, is the best medicine for my happiness. So that was such a huge relief for me and really gave me a big wave of energy and optimism.”

From then on, the TV star reunited with Magisano to be his blind running guide and the pair crammed three months of training into eight weeks. Schulman’s original goal for the marathon was to set a new personal record. But after his recovery, he stopped trying to get faster and returned to his baseline.

“My body really came back,” he says. “The first few runs were obviously tough, I was riding at a much slower pace than normal and working a lot harder than normal. But once I got some momentum going, I really felt strong again by the third or fourth run. I’m not 100% yet, but honestly I feel great.”

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Schulman has run the New York City Marathon six times since 2015. But before this year’s race, he asked himself, “Why am I doing it? How can I give more meaning to this race, not only for me but also for the race?”

That’s why he wanted to join the Achilles International Foundationthat helps people with disabilities get involved in athletic programs. He also collaborated with Brooks runningwho supported his recovery journey with their new one Glycerine Max sneakers to “ease my way back to running,” as his neck and body “are still vulnerable.”

Schulman says he already knows this will ultimately be his “most meaningful” marathon.

“I worked really hard in 2018 to run a sub-three-hour marathon, which was a huge personal triumph. But this feels like a community triumph,” he says.

In addition to Brooks Running and the Achilles International Foundation, Schulman says the number of fans who have supported his recovery journey is “remarkable.” It gives him another reason to cross the finish line.

Although the race takes place on November 3, Schulman says his mantra – which also relates to his spinal recovery – will be his favorite quote from Haruki Murakami’s book: What I talk about when I talk about running: “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

“I think about that a lot, because everyone is hurting,” he explains. “No one who runs a marathon is not in pain, but you can choose whether you want to suffer or laugh, stay positive and keep going.”

Looking back on how far he has come just a few months after the accident, Schulman is excited for him and Magisano to cross the finish line together.

“So many of the disabled athletes who run with Achilles tendonitis have been disabled by spinal cord injuries. And the fact that I had one, recovered it and can now continue to offer my services to that organization feels so special,” he tells PEOPLE.

“Also for myself, to know that I got knocked down, but I got back up and I’m going to get that finish. It feels very good.”