Subscribe
NORFOLK, Va. – Being able to run effectively is one of the requirements for all Navy sailors. That requirement served as the primary motivation for two USS Wasp sailors, March 20, who put their running skills to the test and 19 others who helped out with other tasks during the annual Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach.
“It was a chance for us to support and encourage the local community, to achieve a greater sense of connection with the residents here, and to strive for a healthy lifestyle,” said Lt. Matthew Weems, Wasp’s chaplain.
Two Wasp sailors, Lt. j.g. Nathan Lichon and Ensign Anne Petraiuolo, ran in the marathon, with Lichon finishing with a time of 3:21:10 to place 214th out of 3,189 runners and Petraiuolo achieving a time of 4:06:16 to place 1231st overall.
“I decided to participate mainly because I had started running long distances to lose weight after the holiday season and wondered if I had what it took to run a full marathon,” said Lichon. “What I gained was knowledge of my capabilities and a stronger desire to continue improving. Working with Anne [Petraiuolo], having the support of Wasp folks up and down the chain-of-command, and being in an environment where physical fitness is encouraged really made the challenge worthwhile.”
The rest of the Wasp sailors who volunteered served as “course marshals,” helping to keep traffic at bay for the runners, a job they said they were enthused to be doing.
”It was motivating watching everyone else out there running, because I like to run myself,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Kristen Pacheco, hull maintenance technician. “I wanted to give support to the two from Wasp who were in the marathon, and it was great to see people you know completing a 26 mile long race.”
For Pacheco and her fellow Wasp volunteers, helping to keep the runners safe also meant being able to provide encouragement to their shipmates who were on their way to the finish line.
“We were stationed at about the 23 mile mark, and when Mr. Lichon came around, we ran with him for about a minute or two,” said Pacheco. “Seeing our officers out there running was very motivating for us.”
The success of Wasp’s participation in the Shamrock Marathon should encourage its crew to continue to lend their time to helping out in the local community, said Pacheco.
“We should all keep up our participation in the Volunteer Service Program, which has done and will continue to do great things,” she said.
| Date Taken: | 03.20.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.31.2011 10:14 |
| Story ID: | 68033 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Wasp Sailors Participate in Shamrock Run, by PO2 Christopher Koons, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
