Jeremy Renner reveals Robert Downey Jr.’s advice after a near-fatal accident: “I don’t care if you’re in pain, you look fantastic”

Doctors said you would never walk again, but in some of your recent videos you are walking. Obviously any estimates they had for you have been thrown out the window. So what goals are you setting for yourself? Is there a particular milestone you want to reach?

Jeremy Renner: I have certain ideas. There have been changes and I’ve had to be more patient with the actual recovery of tendons and ligaments and things like that because it takes a long time to rebuild and I’m OK with that.

Last year, at the end of the summer, I tried to run a 4.5-40. That was my goal, wasn’t it? (Giggles)

I need to give myself a little more time. And again, it’s not about running 4.5 40, but just getting to the point where I think: I want the agility and sprint power, this movement makes me feel alive.

I get a lot of help, a lot of support and my progress, my family, my friends and my relationship with Brooks Running gives me a lot of hope, so that’s pretty awesome.

I still want to be able to walk and not feel like it’s four flat tires on a highway. It feels pretty chaotic. It feels like a flea market when I walk. “What’s going on down there?” Like I’m just stepping on pots and pans.

Running has been an integral part of your recovery process. Can you talk about your relationship with Brooks Running and how they have supported you on your physical journey?

JR: It started with the accident, then Brooks (Running) found out who the hell I was and was like, “Who is this guy? We have to help him.”

I’ve been posting and sharing things about recovery because it seems to matter to people and I find it kind of healing to share. As I was documenting it, Brooks reached out to me and wanted to send me a pair of shoes, the Ghost Max.

I wore them as slippers because I have stone floors and they were really better for my joints when I was getting coffee and stuff like that. But I was finally able to use them the way they were intended, which was for walking. I put them on and hopped down my driveway, then decided to try sprinting up to knee height like a donkey.

But it worked out great. It was such a big, defining moment for me. Ten months after the accident. The hope that moment gave me – I had the courage to even try when I was told I wouldn’t be able to walk and I certainly wouldn’t be able to run again.

I just said, “Why don’t you try it?” I didn’t know it was going to happen. I might have sparked and slid down the driveway with all my metal parts. I don’t know what would have happened, but I had to try it. Because of that, a few months later, they decided they wanted to do something together and had their “Let’s run there“ campaign. It was a clear yes.