Photo By Airman Donnell Ramsey | U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Donnell Ramsey, 633d Air Base Wing public affairs...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – In the light of the rising sun, I joined an expansive gathering of people wearing rucksacks and military boots awaiting at the start of the Norwegian Foot March on Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Virginia.
Weaving between the tightly packed assembly of military personnel, I navigated my way through the crowd to the registration table. The event I had been anticipating for months was finally about to begin. I trembled in excitement as I signed up. I would finally be able to test the limits of my physical and mental fortitude in one of the most stressful challenges ever.
My angst to compete did little to quiet the question racing through my mind. “Can I complete this endurance test and prove to myself that I am strong enough to persevere?” I wondered. The question thrilled me because I believed that I could beat this infamous challenge but at the same time, it terrified me with the doubts that I couldn’t complete it.
I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind and focused the organizers giving us a pre-brief. I scanned the crowd and saw some faces embolden with excitement and others sweating with uncertainty.
Closing my eyes, I calmed down to reset my mind and reminded myself,
“You got this Junior.”
Once the Norwegian flag was raised and the announcer yelled “GO”, I dashed forward without hesitation.
This marked the beginning of my first Norwegian Foot March, known as Marsjmerket, an endurance test comprised of an 18.6 mile run while carrying a 24-pound rucksack within four hours and thirty minutes. In 1915, the foot march was created to test the marching endurance of soldiers in the Norwegian military as they were preparing for World War 1. The foot march gained popularity in Norway and eventually became an international event.
Today, the Norwegian Foot March continues to be a popular fitness test that brings together people searching for a challenge that will stimulate their personal growth. A challenge that I was personally looking for in the pursuit of my professional development as a warrior Airman.
As I ran, it was tough to maintain my tempo with the added weight on my back, the boots strapped to my feet, and the many slopes littered with rocks. I was able to use my playlist of songs to pace myself and count the time that passed. No matter how steep the slopes were or how unstable the ground felt, I simply focused on getting through the run and not letting anything stop me from achieving that goal.
When I passed the 9-mile mark, I felt excited by my progress.
“Halfway there,” I panted. “Halfway, time to turn around…, let’s get this!”
With a semi-triumphant smile, I shared my newly gained optimism with the other participants I passed, encouraging them to keep up their own pace. I felt hope that I could get through this run, that I was strong enough to overcome this daunting challenge, and with my declaration I got a second wind and was able to restart my earlier pace. Turning around, the slopes were steeper, and my feet felt heavier, but I maintained my pace and continued to advance forward.
Just as I reached the top of the steepest hill yet, my optimistic momentum was swiftly halted as my body lost steam, and I began to suffer from muscle spasms.
Passing the 15-mile mark, I struggled to move at a steady pace as the built-up fatigue started to take a toll on my body. Like snakes coiling in a concentric circle, my calves were forming tight painful knots. The pain forced me to stop moving to relieve the tension. While I held onto my shaking knees and attempted to catch my breath, one by one, participants passed me by and all I could do was watch.
The end was near, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get my body to run anymore.
For what felt like an eternity, I created a cycle of walking and stopping. I counted the minutes of music from my playlist and realized that three and a half hours had passed. The mere thought of failure made my heart with despair. I couldn’t waste all my effort getting as far as I did, only to fail so close to the finish, so I gripped the straps from my backpack and with all the strength I could muster I sprinted forward.
To overcome my spasms, I came up with a new routine occasionally sprint to the tempo of music and walk afterwards to give my legs time to rest. From that point on, I focused on running as much as possible and ignored anything that could distract or slow me down.
Before I knew it, I had finally reached the finish line.
“Time four hours and 23 minutes. What’s your name?” the referee asked me.
Taking a moment to breathe, I replied, “Sir, Airman 1st Class Donnell Ramsey.”
Dropping the rucksack that fused to my body from sweat, I slowly fell backwards into the concrete to recover. Looking up at the clear blue sky, the soothing wind wiped the sweat from my face, and I smiled a wide grin from ear to ear. Not only had I earned the Norwegian Foot March Badge, but I proved to myself the power of my own resolve. I challenged everyone to seek out something that pushes you to the limits and face it head on.
| Date Taken: | 03.21.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.21.2025 15:40 |
| Story ID: | 493487 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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