Photo By Sgt. Deneesha Smith | (l-r) Staff Sgt. Kevin Warrell, Sgt. 1st Class Raynard Francis, Capt. Paul Adjodha,...... read more read more
Virgin Islands National Guard Soldiers joined over 1,000 residents and visitors in Cruz Bay, St. John, to compete in the 24th annual 8-Tuff miles footrace, Feb. 29, 2020.
The footrace was 8.38 miles and is known for its hilly terrain. “It’s a phenomenal experience participating in the 8-Tuff miles for the first time, and I’m lucky to have finished first amongst our group at 1 hour and 19 minutes,” said Capt. Paul Adjodha. “Sgt. 1st Class Raynard Francis propelled me to join. He is always pushing us to participate in events that support the Virgin Islands community and promotes physical fitness as service members.”
“A special thank you goes out to 1st Sgt. Selwyn Gumbs, for introducing me to this event in 2016,” said Francis. “When I run, I run with VING on my back, and seeing the endurance of the younger kids, senior citizens and wounded warriors kept me in the fight to finish at 1 hour and 22 minutes.”
Since 2003, the event has raised more than $70,000 for scholarships. This year, over $4,000 in college scholarships were awarded to the winners of the three youngest age groups. “I see it has an opportunity to give back to my community,” said Chung. “Next year, I hope to gain sponsorship and recruit a larger team representing VING’s Toughest.”
“Running is not in my blood, but I am good at it,” said Staff Sgt. Kareem Henley. “I get an adrenaline rush right before the race starts because I am ready to challenge myself.”
“Winning means getting the best out of yourself,” said Staff Sgt. Kevin Warrell. “I’ve trained once a week since January, and I feel great that I finished the race in 1 hour and 33 minutes.”
“There is a sense of accomplishment in knowing I finished the race and marked one item off my bucket list,” said Shawna Wesselhoft, a military veteran. “I met people from different places, and it was a joy to see all the people who traveled to the Virgin Islands for this event.”
“As a first-time participant, I feel awesome having completed the race, especially without training,” said Staff Sgt. Renee Thomas. “I would do it again because the motivation from everyone in the race and along the route kept me going.”
| Date Taken: | 02.29.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 03.12.2020 21:05 |
| Story ID: | 364447 |
| Location: | ST. JOHN , VI |
| Web Views: | 87 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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