Photo By Master Sgt. Matthew Mccoy | Left to right: Lt. Col. Brad Hilbert, Senior Master Sgt. Lou Locke, Col. Kreg Anderson...... read more read more
WICHITA, Kan. - Chief Master Sgt. Sidney Colliatie, superintendent of the 184th Intelligence Support Squadron, over the past few years, has been striving toward a goal that is pretty amazing.
“I wanted to run a marathon or half marathon in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia before I turned 50 years old and I completed the quest by 46 days,” said Colliatie.
Colliatie traveled all over the United States and was able to run in some very interesting places.
He ran down the Atlantic boardwalk and across the Golden Gate Bridge. He was also able to run around the Indy 500 race track as well as Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. He even had the opportunity to finish one of his marathons in the Marshall University football stadium.
It was more than just the joy of running for Colliatie. He was running to raise money and which funds research to fight Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS.
Colliatie ran five half marathons in five states in five days in 2013 to raise money for ALS in support of Paula Hilbert, wife of Colliaties’s commander Lt. Col. Brad Hilbert. The Airmen of the 184th Intelligence Group donated money for every mile he ran and more than $4,000 was raised.
“Chief Master Sergeant Colliatie has been an excellent chief, mentor and friend,” said Hilbert. “I don’t know that he fully knows how much his efforts over the past two years have meant to my wife and me.”
“We often speak of the Jayhawk family here at the 184th,” said Hilbert. “Chief Colliatie embodies that and my family and I are the direct recipients of his friendship and the dedication he shows to the people around him. He is more than my colleague and chief; he is my family as well. We owe him a large debt of gratitude.”
Airmen from around the wing also joined the effort to raise money through running.
“It was very humbling to run in support of ALS in honor of Paula Hilbert,” said Master Sgt. Darla Griffin, 184th Force Support Squadron, Force Development superintendent. “Things we take for granted every day that people suffering from ALS cannot do, such as breathing on our own, running and being able to eat, is my motivation to run.”
In 2014, Colliatie joined other Airmen of the 184th Intelligence Wing and ran the Air Force marathon/half marathon and together they raised over $1,000 for ALS.
“Being able to run with countless Airmen in the Air Force and the Marine Corps Marathon was indescribable,” said Colliatie.
In all, Colliatie ran 30 marathons and 65 half marathons, which totaled 1,637.5 miles, the equivalent to running from Wichita, Kansas, to San Jose, California.
“This has been very rewarding, but I am glad the quest is over,” said Colliatie.
| Date Taken: | 01.09.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.11.2015 16:06 |
| Story ID: | 151749 |
| Location: | WICHITA, KS, US |
| Web Views: | 246 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Running for joy and charity, by TSgt Justin Jacobs, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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