Sunday, April 13, 2014

Mountain Man March 2014


I haven't done this in a long time - it's been over two years!  I am so mad about all of the things I will probably forget about now because I haven't written them down! I changed jobs a little over two years ago, which has made carving out time for this online journal nearly impossible. Hopefully I can start setting aside some time to jot down some more memories...

During this hiatus, Anthony has gone to and completed Air Force Basic Training for the Air National Guard, he is in college, and is also a volunteer firefighter in the small town where he is living for college. This weekend he and Tony, along with three of their other buddies from their air base, participated in the Mountain Man March to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.  

How amazing this experience was... 

They entered the Mountain Man March as half marathoners, heavy.  This means they opted to march a half marathon in their uniform (awful work boots included) with 35 pound packs. Anthony and Charlie decided to make their packs a little heavier to challenge themselves.  Anthony's pack weighed 46 pounds and Charlie's was heavier than their scale would weigh - so at least 50 pounds. I never asked how many people were participating in this event but I did hear estimates in the 800's though.



Each team walks in memory of a fallen soldier.  LTC Frank Bryant, Jr. was an Air Force Academy graduate/pilot who was killed in action 4/27/2011 in Afghanistan.  What an honor for them to walk for him. 


Here is the team that I am so proud of... Brian, Charlie, Tony, Bert, and Anthony. 


While I sat on a small wall outside of Cooter's in Gatlinburg I saw many, MANY teams making their way up the sidewalk.  The teams ranged from high school and college ROTC teams to these full timers/old timers. One of the rules of the march is that you start as a team and you end as a team - your team has to cross the finish line with 20 seconds of each other. While I was watching the teams reach the end of the march, I noticed several different styles.  Some of the teams had not stayed together but joined back up right before crossing the finish line. I saw about three teams with team members who were struggling but did not choose to split up.  They had someone on either side of the struggling team member helping them - pushing, pulling, dragging, carrying - whatever it took. Similar to their training of "no man left behind."

I also noticed that regardless of their mental state as they were approaching the finish line, they got a little spring in their step when they heard the cheering and encouragement from the crowd.  



I was very proud of these guys as they crossed the finish line.  They had a team member with some mean blisters that developed in the first mile and they had to adjust their pace.  I saw them showing great admiration for a man who finished a race while being in a great deal of pain.

And look, they are still smiling!


At the end of the race, they get to meet the family members of the soldier they are honoring. This is Amie, LTC Bryant's sister.


While sitting at Cooter's watching these teams finish this race, I noticed two things.  
We all need teammates - it's hard to go it alone. It's nice to know you are going to cross the finish line together no matter when you get there or what you have to overcome. I also realized the importance of encouraging words. Just noticing/acknowledging someone's struggle and giving them a shout out takes very little time and hardly any effort but the benefit is immeasurable. How many times a day do we pass up the opportunity to make a difference by giving someone an encouraging word?