04/09/2026
So Sunday’s adventure warranted its own post:
When .52 agreed to do this with me, with no hesitation I might add, I don’t think either one of us knew how hard this was going to be, especially if we wanted to do it in under 2 hours. But the real surprise was the outpouring of loud, vocal positivity and support, not only from the spectators, but from our fellow athletes. The love we got from the other teams on the course was relentless and kept us going despite borderline heat exhaustion and dehydration. Huge community builder.
I was lucky enough to meet firefighter Darius Avant last year when he was an instructor during my EMT training at …and despite the fact I am exactly twice his age, learning from him, and others has kept me perpetually motivated in my sidequest as a first responder. I’m glad we have all remained friends and I look forward to possibly working closer together in the near future.
And for any haters out there…yes we kept the liners in, so it was hot AF.
Lastly, for anyone out there still reading this, next time you see our firefighters in the supermarket or grabbing lunch, dap them up and thank them. I’ve done enough shifts to know how hard the gig is, so a little love goes a long way.
.247