By Andrea, a supporter of Active Heroes
“Like others, I have had family and friends in the military. I wanted to help. Something a lot of people do not know about me is that I have suffered from PTSD, not from combat, but from many years of being in an abusive relationship. I know the circumstances differ, but I can relate in some way with the nightmares, the flashbacks, sleepless nights and waves of depression. With all that our servicemen and women do for us, all I want to do is give back. One of the ways that has helped my healing process through this was when I started running, that lead to OCRs [Obstacle Course Races], eventually that led to other events and rucking. Putting my body and mind through challenges that I never thought I could accomplish helped me deal with the emotional pain, gain some confidence back and each time, lead me through some form of a ‘spiritual’ journey to finding the pieces of myself that I once lost. Henry David Thoreau once said, ‘Not until we are lost do we begin to find ourselves’. That couldn’t be more true…I had to lose everything to find my footing to rebuild and I am still at the very bottom of rebuilding, but I AM doing it. Now I have discovered the Carry The Fallen. I was injured for 10 months in November, had shoulder impingement with a tear in my rotator cuff and in PT of for about 5 months. I couldn’t say no…I needed ‘something’ to help me with the rehabbing process, even if it meant a slight setback. To me, this was not just about pushing myself to find that next piece of myself along my journey…but it was in hopes of helping someone else find theirs.”

The Team Active Heroes program challenges veterans, military families and supporters to unite and complete challenges that build camaraderie. This program has major impact to help battle PTSD and the enormous veteran suicide epidemic. Learn more at https://activeheroes.org/start-here/