Why I took this course

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When I was in ROTC in the late 90's, we had a team that trained for the Bataan. Unfortunately due to budget cuts, our team could not find the money to travel down and participate. Not being able to complete the march stayed on my mind. I always questioned if I could do it.

I was later injured in ROTC and go put out of the Army due to a back injury. Many people told me that I could very run or hike again. And to be honest, some days I had difficulty walking. But I missed being a Soldier and wasn't going to let anything stop me.

Eventually, I built myself back up so I could enlisted into the National Guard. After my deployment to Iraq, I found myself really overweight. In Iraq I was so busy in a command post, I never exercised. With tempatures in the 140s, I would take any icecream or shake that was offered to me. When I got back home, I was carrying 30 lbs of fat.

While I was teaching at UNK, I said to myself that I would complete my dream of competing in Bataan. With my physical condition it is unlikely that I will ever be able to run a marathon but I can sure as hell march one. I complete Bataan in the long heavy catagory in 9 hours 13 minutes. A couple days later I thought to myself that I could do much better. So my goal this year is to break that time.

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  • DarthGibbles89
    DarthGibbles89 Posts: 17 Member
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    Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to join the Air Force like my father. Unfortunately, I was born with kyphosis and scoliosis of the spine, and will never be accepted into the military. I've had to rethink my life's direction many times after that. Currently, thanks to some incompetent doctors, I now have a good amount of medical problems. I'll have some of these for the rest of my life, but others, I'm hoping will improve over time through this course.

    Since I can never join the military, I'm hoping that by taking this course, it'll prove to my family, my friends, those recruiters, and most importantly- myself, that I can do what I set out to do. I also want to set an example to my son. I want him to know that no matter what complications life throws at you, you have to try your best everyday to finish what you start. To repeat what I said earlier about improving my health, I want to be there for him as long as I can be.

    This is why I joined this course. I believe it'll make me a better individual in the end, and if I think I can do it, then I know I will be able to do it. I don't give up so easily. It may take me over 12 hours, but I will be there at that finish line with everyone else when it's over. You can count on that.