Some Gave All~Go Beyond the Last Mile.

Every October, tens of thousands of runners come to the Washington, DC area to run in The Army Ten-Miler race, the second largest ten-mile race in the United States. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the October 2001 race was canceled. However, on October 2, 2005, I participated in the 21st Annual Army Ten-Miler. I was one of the thousands of runners who crossed the finish line that day as a team member from the Federal Air Marshal Service, Newark Field Office. My team was composed of air marshals, military veterans, and non-veterans like myself who ran to support veterans.??

My training for the race lasted approximately three months, and the longest distance that I ran was ten miles. I trained for the actual distance of the race. Not having ever run such a long distance, I did a practice run one week before the race and saved my final kick for the last two miles. Wow, I was proud of myself, and I was confident and ready to achieve my personal best.?

On the race day, the team arrived at the Pentagon staging area. What I saw that day is something that I will never forget - thousands of people were ready to run to support those that ensured our freedom. I saw what the actual cause was all about when I looked around me. Next to me was a man with one arm, and on his shirt were the names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for him, thus allowing him the opportunity to run in remembrance of his lost fellow service members. "Some gave all. Never forget" seemed to be the theme. I saw soldiers in wheelchairs and amputees, and I realized our soldiers' hardships. The Army Ten-miler was no longer just a race; it became a cause to me as well.?

My two brothers served, one in the Army and one in the Marines. Throughout the race, I thought about their patriotism, and I wanted to let them know that I appreciated them and that I would never forget their service to this great country. They became my motivation and my inspiration.?

I was running what I thought was a good race for me. My watch and time indicated that I was at the eight-mile mark, so I started to kick. Nine miles, one mile to go. I am now kicking in for my finish to achieve my personal best. I am kicking in, and I don't see the finish line. OMG, I am exhausted. My body, my legs are hurting, and I am out of breath. I was not prepared for the unexpected or, better yet, the unknown. This race, according to my calculation, should be over.?

Unfortunately, the original race route had to be diverted due to security reasons. During the actual running of the race, the Washington DC Metropolitan Police identified a suspicious package under the HOV lanes of the 14th Street Bridge. Instead of stopping, the race officials decided the course would be modified, and they rerouted runners at Mile Marker 7 (Independence and 14th Street area) to cross the Memorial Bridge. The 2005 Army Ten-Miler became approximately 11.3 miles long instead of ten miles by rerouting the race.?

I was not going to achieve a new personal best today. Out of breath, I wanted to quit when I reached what I thought was the end of the race. However, deep inside, something kept pushing me to keep going and not stop, just finish. I was no longer trying to compete with others or achieve my personal best. I was now competing with my inner self not to quit, when the person in a wheelchair, the soldiers using their hands to bike the race in their wheel cycles, and finally the soldier with two prosthetic legs who, I found out later, lost his legs when an improvised explosive device tore through his military vehicle, all passed me as I started walking because I was tired.??

I have two healthy legs. I was surrounded by like-minded people, military athletes, civilian athletes, wheelchair athletes, and wounded warrior athletes who inspired and motivated me. Suffering from leg cramps, aches, and pain, I wanted to stop, walk and quit. But when I looked at all the disabled soldiers and others, some walking, some jogging, some being pushed by other disabled people, I decided not to stop. I have two legs. I MUST find the will to run, keep going, and finish. I Must, I Can, I Will, and I DID FINISH.??

Later on, upon reflecting on my actions while I was training before the race, I realized that I did not push or prepare myself mentally or physically enough to go the extra mile. I saw people display their abilities instead of making excuses for their disabilities. I was inspired to do more than I thought was possible. If they could, I knew that I could. Failure that day was not an option. Those less fortunate than me did not quit, and I knew that I could not stop or give up. I went beyond the last mile and crossed the finish line because of the support given to me by others.?

David Cordani and Dick Traum said it best in their book, The Courage to Go Forward: The Power of Micro Communities, "With givers at our side we - and by "we," I mean everyone - can persevere and find the "finish line." (Cordani and Traum, 2018)?

Being able to run with a diverse group of inspirational people who risked their lives for my freedom and the freedom of others has motivated me to work harder in my daily life and always to be prepared to go beyond that last mile and to expect the unexpected. Nothing is impossible. Even when faced with a few obstacles, I achieved a personal goal. I did something I did not think I could do. I overcame my adversity, weakness, pain, and discomfort. I did not reach my personal best that day, but I saw the greatness in the diverse performances of others.??

Although an open-minded person, as a black man, my views were that diversity was about race, color, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality. I did not truly understand the other elements of diversity. By examining and understanding my previous assumptions and by challenging my unconscious biases, I became a disability advocate and an ally to create a positive change and embrace the diversity of others. I became an advocate, not realizing that I would experience several life-changing disability events myself years later.??

A life lesson learned is not to wait to be personally impacted to care about others and their feelings. As Colin Powell (2003) stated in My American Journey, "My responsibility, our responsibility as lucky Americans, is to try to give back to this country as much as it has given us, as we continue our American journey together".?

I personally will never forget that some gave all