Beth Bourgault, an avid runner, was at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in 2013 waiting for friends to finish when the bombings occurred.

Shrapnel that hit her leg severed muscles and nerves, and she also suffered a ruptured eardrum from the noise of the explosions.

Her husband, Michael, suffered burns and ear injuries, as well.

“Life changed,’’ said Bourgault, 61, of Lynn. “I went from going 100 miles an hour to zero.’’

Since 1977, Bourgault had worked in the legal field, helping clients through tough times. She also cared for ailing relatives and older parents of friends.

“As someone who always took care of people, I had to depend on people taking care of me,’’ she said. “I was so grateful for that care.’’

The experience led to a change in careers. “I wanted to work with people whose lives, through no choice of their own, had changed dramatically,’’ she said. “I knew that feeling.’’

Bourgault left her legal job in October 2014, and after some additional surgeries and recuperation, joined FirstLight HomeCare in Salem. The franchise, owned by Molly and Steve Rowe, is part of a national network that provides nonmedical home care to some 2,500 people in more than 30 states.

“It was the best decision I ever made,’’ Bourgault said.

Bourgault was one of two people — selected from hundreds nationwide — as FirstLight’s 2016 Caregiver of the Year.

“I was thrilled to be recognized for something I enjoy doing so much,’’ she said. “It’s a job I can’t wait to get up for in the morning.’’

Bourgault helps with personal care — household duties such as cooking, cleaning, and running errands — and providing families with respite care.

“It’s different every day,’’ she said. Her current clients range in age from their early 50s to 97, and have physical limitations or dementia.

“You need to know what they enjoy,’’ she said. “If they were gardeners, I take them to a place with flowers. If they love history, I take them to a museum. If they love puzzles, I do puzzles with them. Or if they love the ocean, we go to the beach.

“We’re there to help the families and clients retain a quality of life,’’ she said. “I loved what I did in my former life. And I seriously think if the bombing hadn’t occurred, I’d still be doing that. But after the care I received, I had to make the change.’’

WENDY KILLEEN

Wendy Killeen can be reached at wdkilleen@gmail.com.