PHOENIX — In the three years since she was severely injured in a mass shooting at a political event, Gabrielle Giffords made an impressive recovery, learned to walk again and founded a national political organization. On Wednesday, while others will hold bell-ringing and flag-raising ceremonies, she will mark the anniversary by skydiving.

The former congresswoman’s jump will be broadcast on NBC’s “Today” show on Thursday.

Giffords still struggles to speak and walk, but has become a leader of Americans for Responsible Solutions, a national organization she founded with her husband, Mark Kelly, to rival the powerful pro-gun lobby.

The group struggled to bring about any major change at the federal and state level in its first year of existence, but the couple is confident they laid the groundwork for success in future election cycles.

“The legacy of any day where there’s a mass shooting and loss of life is, I think, a chance to reflect on who these people were and what they did, particularly the people who died,” Kelly, a former astronaut, said in an interview with The Associated Press on the eve of the anniversary. “But it’s also a chance to look forward and see how we can make changes and reduce the numbers of instances like this that we have.”

Officials this week announced plans for a permanent memorial in remembrance of the shootings expected to be located downtown at the Old Pima County Courthouse and in an adjacent park.