Photo By Staff Sgt. David Beckstrom | Maj. Daniel Toven, music liaison officer with U.S. Army Central, stands at the finish...... read more read more
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KUWAIT CITY – The thrill of wind whipping past runners as they push themselves to their limits and the feeling of triumph as they meet personal goals are some of many reasons athletes are drawn to marathon running.
Capt. Graciela Orantes, a U.S. Army Central Soldier from Chicago, tested her endurance at a marathon that took her through Kuwait City, Nov. 14. The marathon’s theme was "Get up and move all 642 muscles."
“It was nice to see the beautiful landmarks and city,” said Orantes, an operations officer with 463rd Medical Detachment Veterinary Services Support, 3rd Medical Command Deployment Support. “I really appreciated the chance to do the run and interact with people from the local community and other cultures.”
As a child, Orantes wasn’t very athletic, until she went to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.
“When I started at West Point, I felt that I needed to prove myself, because the environment is so competitive,” said Orantes. “I started pushing myself at running to prepare for 5K’s that would happen in the local area.”
Upon graduation, she convinced several of her fellow graduates to participate in a marathon in Orlando, Florida, as a way to celebrate their accomplishments. This was her first marathon, but she was determined that it would not be the last.
“Running has never been my strong suite,” said Orantes. “I started running with my friends to improve my run time for the Army physical fitness test and now I am running in marathons.”
It's not about how fast a person goes, or how far, it's about getting out there and running, said Capt. Kelsey Fiddes, a branch chief with Area Support Group – Kuwait.
“Even though there are different abilities… striving to achieve what they haven’t done before is why I run with my friends,” said Fiddes.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, running is a good cardio workout, but it also releases chemicals in the body that help promote mental health. Their research shows that exercise boosts self-esteem and prevents mental fatigue.
After a good run, Orantes says she feels energized and that her head is clear, which makes it easier to focus on work.
“The social support and encouragement from my friends allows me to meet my goals and relax,” said Orantes. “While I am running, I can forget the stresses of the day and focus on nothing but placing one foot in front of the other.”
The Mental Health Foundation also states that because humans are social, they use people to challenge themselves to achieve new heights in their hobbies with people who have similar interests.
“I joined Orantes for the social support and after a few times I set goals for myself that I would have not accomplished if it were not for that encouragement,” said Fiddes.
Fiddes said that Orantes has encouraged her to participate in each running event on Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, from the 5K fun runs, to the Army 10-Miler and the Kuwait City marathon. This social support is why they have both achieved their goals.
“After participating in the Army 10-miler run we saw the flyer for the Kuwait City run and thought that a half marathon is only an extra 5K more than the 10-miler, so we both said ‘let’s do it,’” said Fiddes.
“Thinking back over my time with [Orantes], I would not be where I am today if it were not for her.”
From her first step during the Orlando marathon to the finish line in Kuwait City, Orantes plans to continue running wherever her feet take her.
“I have ran marathons in the past, now I can say I ran one in a different country,” said Orantes. “It showed that the love and passion for running is universal among people around the world, it brings a sense of camaraderie and esprit de corps to each of us.”
| Date Taken: | 11.14.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.25.2015 07:22 |
| Story ID: | 182828 |
| Location: | KUWAIT CITY, KW |
| Hometown: | CHICAGO, IL, US |
| Web Views: | 127 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Army captain, Chicago native runs marathon 6K miles from home, by SSG David Beckstrom, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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