I will never forget when I charged up the final hill to complete my first Marine Corps Marathon in October 2018. At the base of the Iwo Jima memorial in Arlington, a young servicemember draped a medal with the famous eagle, globe and anchor insignia around my neck and congratulated me with a resounding OORAH!
Conquering those grueling 26.2 miles was exhilarating. I felt strong. I felt confident. I felt empowered. Until I went on a run a few days later.