VIDEO: Sense of winning for Haitian amputee months after Boston Marathon bombings

Boston (CNN) -- To see Mery Daniel today is to see how far she has come. Walking on her new prosthetic leg without crutches is a huge accomplishment, but to see Daniel ride 26 miles on a hand cycle underscores the tremendous progress she's made in the five months since the Boston Marathon bombings.

"This is the biggest challenge I've faced since the bombing," the 31-year-old Haitian immigrant said, referring to her participation in a recent ride from Waltham, Massachusetts, to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. She beamed as her 5-year old daughter, Ciarra, and husband, Richardson, ran to offer hugs and congratulations.

"It's great," Richardson says proudly. "It's very encouraging to see -- despite what she's been through."

April 15 was the day that profoundly changed Mery's life and that of so many others.

Three people were killed and more than 250 were injured when a pair of bombs exploded just seconds apart near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed four days later in a standoff with police. His younger brother, Dzhokhar, faces charges that could bring a life sentence or the death penalty if he is convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.

More than 14 people lost limbs in the bombing.