Based on Department of Defense estimates, about 7.3% of the American population in 2014 had ever served in the military. By gender, about 13.4% of male Americans had served but, only 1.4% of female Americans had ever served. With those numbers in mind, it’s not hard to see that most Americans have little first-hand connection to the military. With Hollywood’s portrayal of veterans as heroes or “broken” warriors, it’s not surprising that many people see veterans as much more likely than civilians to experience unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, and various other issues. As a veteran myself, I know this is a disservice to veterans. While our military occupational specialty skills might not always translate into a civilian career, our skills as leaders, team builders and problem solvers do. We view ourselves as neither hero nor broken warrior— just another human being seeking fulfilling work and pursuit of our hobbies and other interests.
In this issue of Endurance, our 3rd Annual Veterans Issue, we look at stories of veterans and veteran spouses and their outlook on fitness. Our cover story is about the inspiring Amanda Ford, who served in the Marine Corps as one of a few female door gunners in a helicopter squadron. Ford is out of the military now and gaining attention the male-dominated arena of traditional Scottish athletic games winning events Grandfather Mountain’s Highland Games. When she not throwing “hammers” and “stones” like an old Scottish warrior, Ford continues to serve in her career as a surgical tech at a VA Hospital. Read more about Amanda and her personal inspiration in our story “Caber-Tossing Marine Veteran Crushes Barriers”.
Those who have served in the armed forces are well aware of the term “military family” and all that it encompasses. Being the spouse of a military member is often just as difficult as serving itself. Suzy Goodwin, wife of active duty Army Captain Trey Goodwin (and also good friend of our Account Director, Jen Cox) knows this too well, in fact. While Trey was deployed to Afghanistan, Suzy went into labor, which in and of itself is not that unusual until you consider that she was going into labor with triplets! Don’t miss the opportunity to read this amazing story of one soldier trying to get back home for the birth of his children and how his wife Suzy is commemorating the event with one of her passions— running! Be sure to check out Suz’s story as well as all of our other great stories by and about veterans in this special issue dedicated to our nation’s finest.
You will also want to check another fine Brandon McDearis recipe this month— Thai Curry Noodle Soup. With colder weather in the air this spicy soup recipe will keep you warm and healthy!
Even though its still relatively warm this time of year here in the South, the change in temperature is much more noticeable on the bike. The switch from short sleeve to long happens earlier in the year for cyclists than it does for runners. That’s why I love one of the features on a new app I use— the “Bike Repair” app. Loaded with repair guides, tips and tricks and cycling news, Bike Repair also includes a useful “What to Wear” feature. Despite the number of years I’ve spent cycling, I always seem to forget the shift to longer sleeves until I’m barreling down a hill in the shade with goosebumps all over my arms! For more information about this app as well as several other cycling apps, check out Thomas Henson’s article about these awesome apps for cyclists.
As always, we have lots of great articles geared towards keeping you healthy, flexible and strong so that you can continue to follow your passion for fitness. But, with our lifestyle, we’ve all at some point found ourselves asking these two questions— ‘is that just pain? or did I really hurt myself?’ Be sure to read Rob Schneider’s article, “Pain or Injury” to learn the best and most cost-effective ways to seek help when you find yourself asking those two questions about pain and injury.
