Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacob Woitzel | U.S. Navy Armed Forces Championship team during the Marine Corps Marathon in...... read more read more
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Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command San Diego’s Lt. Megan Walsh represents the hospital and the Navy in the Armed Services Championship during the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., Oct. 27.
With this year’s Marine Corps Marathon theme, “Celebrating Women in Service – A Bond that Bridges Generations”, Lt. Megan Walsh took home a gold medal in the 2024 Armed Forces Championship Navy Women's team, contributing heavily to a dominant Navy performance alongside her teammates. In its 49th iteration, the Marine Corps Marathon is the 4th largest marathon in the United States.
Walsh, a native of Southborough, Massachusetts, serves as a resident in Naval Medical Center San Diego’s psychiatry department.
“I always love marathon weekends, but being a part of the All-Navy Marathon team added a unique vibrancy that totally elevated my experience,” said Lt. Megan Walsh, a psychiatry resident stationed onboard Naval Medical Center San Diego. “We all have different jobs in the Navy, but share in the value of pursuing an ambitious athletic goal. It was awesome getting to know my teammates, running with them, and spending race day together.”
While training in San Diego, Walsh trained consistently, peaking in mileage with an emphasis on speed and shorter races ahead of the Marine Corps Marathon.
“I felt strong going into the marathon,” said Walsh. “The first few miles of the race flew by, as they always do in a marathon. I tried to be intentional and controlled since I had been warned of the price to pay for over-ambition on this course.”
Walsh’s journey to the marathon started in high school, and her athletic journey evolved which eventually led her to representing the Navy in Washington, D.C.
“I ran track and cross country in high school, but I switched gears and walked-on to the women’s lightweight rowing team in college,” said Walsh. Rowing totally stoked my fire for training, racing, and being part of a team. I knew after graduation that I would need to replace that outlet. I caught the bug for all distances from 5k to marathon and running became a non-negotiable throughout medical school.”
Being a marathon runner is one thing, and being a Sailor is another. Walsh merges the two into her day-to-day life.
“There’s a cliche in the running world that every run is a microcosm of life, and I certainly believe that to be true,” said Walsh. "I find that long distance running requires a profound sense of presence despite external noise and expectations, which is something I try to translate into my day to day. It’s easy to celebrate goals and achievements, but I think the key is to find joy in the grind; in running, in being a Sailor, and in life!”
Marathons are generally not an easy feat for people, so it takes motivation to prepare up to that point.
“One of my favorite quotes is from Katherine Switzer, “If you’re losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon,”” said Walsh. “A marathon is such a concentrated space of people believing in themselves and in others. There’s a hard-to-describe sense of community and unwavering support between runners, spectators, race organizers, and family behind the scenes. I find it unbelievably motivating and it’s what keeps me coming back to the marathon.”
Walsh plans to run shorter races next, possibly including All-Navy Cross Country in 2025 leading up to the Boston Marathon in April.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from my residency program and NMCSD,” said Walsh.
The mission of NMCSD is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high quality health care services, and shape the future of military medicine through education, training, and research.
NMCSD employs more than 5,000 active-duty military personnel, civilians and contractors in southern California to provide patients with world-class care. Anchored in Excellence, Committed to Health! (U.S. Navy story by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Woitzel)
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.07.2024 18:02 |
| Story ID: | 484873 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 53 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, NMCSD Sailor Wins Gold in Armed Forces Championship Marathon, by PO2 Jacob Woitzel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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