Honoring Those Who Served Through Ultra Races
Runners find motivation in many places. That motivation might be crossing a marathon finish line, spending time with friends, or a general goal to be healthier. For Gail Gilman, motivation is rooted in honoring those who serve. Gilman’s family has a long history of service - her father served during three wars, her grandfather served in WWI, and her son is currently serving in the Army reserves.
Gilman started running February 14th, 2014. She had gained a great deal of weight, and as a triple negative breast cancer survivor, she knew that weight gain can increase the chances of a cancer recurrence.
“I had let myself go, was dealing with some personal issues, and knew I had to make changes. I finally found the courage to reach out to a friend and coworker in Arizona at a Native American boarding school I was working at. She motivated me to start moving and taking care of myself,” said Gilman.
By 2017, Gilman was an avid runner with many races, and medals, under her belt. During a race in Buffalo, N.Y., Gilman saw Team Red, White & Blue members wearing the Eagle and asked what “RWB” was. She joined the team soon after, but began to actively participate in local events when her son returned from Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in 2021.
“I wanted to be connected somehow to support the Team RWB cause. I felt it was a way to support and encourage our veterans. I see the posts from people, and thought I really needed to see what Team RWB was all about, rather than simply being a bystander,” said Gilman.
In April 2022, Gilman saw her opportunity to really become involved with Team RWB’s Marching Orders virtual challenge.
“I joined because I feel veterans need to know that people care, there are people they can reach out to. By supporting Team RWB, we can reach out to veterans to encourage involvement in Team RWB activities and support health and well-being,” said Gilman.
Motivated by Team RWB and her running friends, Gilman’s interest in running eventually turned toward ultra racing. Ultra races are typically a distance of 50k or more and Gilman has completed over 15 to date.
“I like the challenge of a good, long, mostly slow, run. I love the atmosphere at longer runs. It's a different mindset,” said Gilman.
Gilman recently completed 117.8 miles in the Notchview Ultra, a 72-hour trail race, encompassing a 1.9-mile loop through the hilly woods of Massachusetts.
“For the last few loops, I donned my (Team) RWB socks. It was just comforting, and reminds me of my father and what he went through to defend our great country. I also have an “Army Mom” dog tag on my running vest, that reminds me of the commitment my son made to be gone for six months to Fort Jackson in the blazing summer heat. If they can endure that, I can run one more loop,” said Gilman.
If Gilman’s story has inspired you to show your support for American veterans, join up at teamrwb.org.
