From Plan to reality

I have had a passion for running for over twelve years now. I always wondered why I loved it so much and why I just couldn't stop; now I know why. In 2006 I had started to make plans for a run across America and had planned a route and thought about some of the details. However there was one obstacle in my way I was scheduled to deploy to Iraq with the Army in October and still had two years left on my contract. The idea was shelved for my return and I went to Iraq.

 In February 2007 I was conducting operations with my unit when an IED exploded and I was  injured. After coming back to the U.S, I spent a few months at Walter Reed medical center, then went back to AK where I spent about a year in the Warrior transition unit until I was medically retired from the army in 2008. When I came home I struggled with the effects of my traumatic brain injury, and PTSD, while trying to get back to a “normal” life. I distanced myself from friends and was happy to stay home if possible. Running proved to be a vital part of my recovery process, and re-integration into life again. I thank God every day that I am still able to run, because there are many veterans who sacrificed a lot more than I did.

 I heard about Vacations for Veterans, an organization that gives free one week vacations to Purple Heart veterans. These vacations are made possible by donors who give up their holiday homes or timeshares at no cost to the veterans. My family and I have had the opportunity to go on a  couple vacations, and it has been just what I needed to get me out of a rut, and re-charge. The vacations that I have had from this organization have been a real blessing because they have given me time alone with my family away from the stresses of everyday life. These vacations were not only important to me, but also my family who have stood by me and strengthened me throughout this whole experience.

Another organization that has really helped me is Oasis Adaptive Sports (Outdoor adventures for sacrifice in service). I heard of Oasis through my local VA hospital and was invited to learn to ski in their first winter program in 2009. I had a great time even though I was pretty scared at first! The people were great and really made me feel comfortable, something I had not felt in a while. The whole experience was a real boost for my confidence and made me try something new and exciting. 
My hope is that I will be able to help both of these organizations so that other veterans can have these great experiences to help them recover from their wartime experiences. My plan is to run across America in the summer of 2012 and raise as much money as I can. I am very excited and very grateful to have a family that supports my crazy dreams!!This is my first blog and I am in the planning stages so I would like to ask for prayer as I continue on this journey. I hope you will all follow and support me in my endeavor and if you feel up to it maybe run a couple of miles with me along the way. I would love as much support as I can possibly get, to be able to help these two organizations’ achieve their goals in supporting Veterans.