Freedom Run

by Jamie Summerlin

  Saying goodbye to the mayor and VFW members, Aaron and Sandy continued on with me toward Morgantown. We had another 14 miles to go, all of it on the state’s famous rolling hills. A couple of miles in, we picked up a Monongalia County Sheriff escort, which took us the rest of the way into Morgantown. As Aaron and Sandy ran with me toward Morgantown, they shared with me how much it meant to them to be a small part of this journey, dating all the way back to when Tiffany and I invited them over to dinner two years earlier to get their thoughts on this idea.

  “I remember how crazy we thought you were at the time,” Sandy said. “Even though we told you we’d do everything we could to help you out, in the back of our minds we wondered if the run would really ever happen. I guess we didn’t know you that well then!”

  I thanked Aaron and Sandy for supporting me from the beginning, even if they initially had their doubts. They provided such valuable guidance for me since they were both more experienced runners, and it meant a great deal to me that they were a part of the run not only now but also when they surprised me in Missouri.

  “After we ran those 35 miles with you in Missouri, all I could think about at the end of the day was that I was so happy I didn’t have to do that again tomorrow,” Sandy recalled. “It was amazing to think that you had also run that distance the day before and were going to run it again the next day and the day after that!”

  Months after the completion of the run, Aaron and Sandy shared some special words with me.

  “Many times you meet dreamers in your life and very few actually make their dreams come true,” they told me. “Jamie, you did just that and to us that sets you apart from the rest. It’s an honor to call you our close friend.”

  The Mountaineer Triathlon was being held in Morgantown that day, and our route covered a section of the bike course. We made our way down to the Waterfront district in Morgantown, our stopping point for the day and also the finish point for the triathlon. When the race director saw our RV, he told Tiffany he wanted me to run through the finish line. They even presented me with a finisher’s medal afterwards. That planted a seed in my mind, and since my journey has been complete I began training for my first triathlon, a half Ironman followed, hopefully, by a full Ironman later.

  Aly Goodwin-Gregg, my PR representative, arranged a welcome ceremony at the Waterfront Memorial Park in Morgantown and since we didn’t have much time to get cleaned up, we decided to wait until after the event to head to our home. Our kids had previously threatened to chain themselves to their beds when we got home, so we didn’t want to take the chance.

  “Besides,” I told Nick, “when we make our way up to the ceremony, we’ll be running with Miss West Virginia Spenser Wempe and all of the Miss West Virginia pageant girls.”

  “I’ll stay,” he said.

  When I spoke at the welcome home ceremony, I used the same message I had shared at the 4-H camp earlier that week. I encouraged everyone to find a way to inspire someone each day. It was a message that grew with me as I made my way across America, something that fit into my mission. What I was doing was the most difficult thing I had ever done in my life, but putting a smile on a veteran’s face was worth every step. Letting them know that we cared and wanted to support them pushed me to get out of bed each morning, lace up my shoes and head out on the road. I hoped to inspire others to think about how they could be selfless and serve others, too.

  Jim Manilla, the mayor of Morgantown, presented me with a key to the city, and various local organizations presented generous donations, including the Marine Corps League, which I am proud to say I am a new member of. Former POW Jessica Lynch spoke at the event, talking about how veterans who deal with traumatic issues every day and live with the physical and mental scars of war rely on some of the charitable organizations that we were supporting with the run. The Daily, a news organization from New York, sent a crew down to film the event and spend a couple of days with me, giving the run even more exposure.

  We stopped by the Hazel Ruby McQuain Amphitheater before we headed home because the West Virginia Bass Federation was in town for a tournament. They “passed the hat” around over the weekend, and presented us with a $500 donation. A number of veterans were in the crowd, giving me another opportunity to say thank you.

  We were all excited as we pulled into our driveway, seeing the house for the first time in 102 days. We had eight more days to get to Annapolis, Maryland, but right then I just wanted to plop down on my own bed. Riki Hall, who was watching our cats and trying to get our air conditioning fixed, thankfully installed two portable air conditioner units in our home while a part was being ordered for our unit. Even with the portable units, there wasn’t much relief because it was so hot and humid outside. Even in a muggy house, I was still looking forward to crawling into my own bed.

  “Now, about getting naked,” I said as slipped under the sheets with my wife. It was good to be home!

  How I Love Those West Virginia Hills

  When Tiffany mapped out the daily routes before we left on this trek, she intentionally made Day 92 the shortest run (about 13 miles) of the entire trip. We wanted to enjoy a few extra hours at home and also get in front of the local media as much as possible. I didn’t begin my run until 10 a.m., after doing several interviews with radio and TV stations.

  During the interviews, I talked about how happy I was to be home and almost finished. The radio hosts commented on my suntan and the fact that I was skinnier than when I left Morgantown. I also made the official announcement that I would continue the run on from Annapolis, wrapping up with a 100-mile, 24-hour run to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in order to make this a true coast-to-coast run. I told Jim Stallings with WAJR-AM that it was his fault I was running an extra 100 miles because he was the one who initially gave me grief for finishing at the Chesapeake Bay and not making it all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. I invited him to run the 100 miles with me, but he politely declined. The Daily crew joined us at the radio stations and filmed every step of the run that day.

  When we gathered at the Waterfront district to begin the run, I knew there were going to be other local runners joining me. I was pleasantly surprised to see a couple of local police officers ready to run with me. Just like those in the military, law enforcement officials put on a uniform every day to serve their local communities and I let them know I appreciated their service and company on the run. With a county sheriff’s officer leading the way, we made our way through downtown and headed out toward the scenic Coopers Rock State Forest. A few employees at downtown businesses stepped out to wish me luck, as did the staff and children at a child care facility.

  We also received some great news from the sheriff’s department. We hoped to run across the old Iron Bridge crossing Cheat Lake to head up to Coopers Rock. Unfortunately, the Department of Highways shut down the bridge due to safety concerns while it simultaneously worked to build a replacement bridge just adjacent to the old one. The only other way across the lake was either running across Cheat Lake on Interstate 68 or running an extra 12 miles around the lake.

  Tiffany had many discussions with the local sheriff’s department prior to our arrival into Morgantown about whether I could run on the interstate, which is against the law in the state, or cross over a bridge that had been shut down for months. Before I began the run that morning, the sheriff’s department told us we would be able to run across Iron Bridge and we would be one of the last few people to do so since it was going to be disassembled soon.

  With the police motorcycle leading the way, and Tiffany behind us in the RV, I headed out with a group of runners. We picked up more runners along the way, including a couple of veterans wearing Army and Navy shirts. Triple S Harley Davidson, one of my key sponsors for the run, had scheduled a welcome home stop for me as we ran past their facility that morning. They presented me with a shirt signed by their entire staff and asked me to autograph an article about the run that had been published in the newspaper, which they placed on their Wall of
Heroes, a wall dedicated to those who serve this great country.

  We left Triple S and began the trek out Route 857 toward the Iron Bridge, now with the Triple S truck behind us blocking traffic. Tiff drove the RV across the interstate bridge to meet us on the other side of Cheat Lake since vehicles were prohibited from crossing Iron Bridge. As we were running down Route 857, I noticed a few signs had been placed along the road with “Run Jamie Run” and “Running for Wounded Warriors.” A vehicle approached, blowing its horn at us, and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw Sandy Yocum accompanied by Michael Yura, another very good friend of mine, waving and cheering us on as they drove by. They had made the signs that morning and wanted to show their support.

  Following the police officer on his motorcycle, we made our way across the old bridge to hook back up with the RV. A group of construction workers who were working on the new bridge were standing there cheering us on and presented me with an envelope full of cash that had been collected by their crew that morning to donate to the cause. I continued to be blown away by the level of sacrifice and support we received from so many different groups of people.

  Caught on Film

  The police escort headed back toward Morgantown as we made a left onto Quarry Run Road. Even though I have lived in Morgantown for many years, I had never previously been on this road, so I had no idea what we were about to approach. When we left the bridge a couple of miles back, Emma Barker from The Daily hooked me up with a wireless microphone. She wanted to run a few miles with me, with the video crew in the lead filming us as we ran. But we were in for a surprise once we turned onto Quarry Run Road.

  About a quarter of a mile straight up Quarry Run Road, I realized that this was one of the steepest roads I had run on the entire journey. There was literally no break in the climb as we continued to run straight up the mountain. Emma dropped back to get into the RV with Tiff while the film crew in the truck stayed in front of us, capturing every step we took. A bit of pride crept in, and I told John Snodgrass and Robert Klenk that with The Daily filming us, we were going to run the entire way up this mountain. Making the climb even more challenging, the videographer in the back of the truck kept firing questions at me, and I was trying to answer them without huffing and puffing too much.

  “What do you want your kids to get out of your run?” the interviewer asked.

  “I just want them to be proud of their daddy,” I said, getting a little choked up. “I want them to know that even though life is tough, and we all make mistakes or get dealt a bad hand at different times, never look at a hurdle in life as something that can’t be overcome. I want to set a good example for them, and I hope this journey is doing just that.”

  At the top of the climb, I wasn’t sure whether to go left or right at the split. I also wasn’t thinking too clearly after running all the way up that steep hill, but a quick check of the map had us turn right and head straight down a dirt road that was washed out and pretty beat up.

  “Will your wife be able to bring the RV down the hill?” asked one of the runners.

  “After the past 3,100 miles,” I responded, “I have no doubt she can handle this road.”

  With the treacherous washboard road behind us, we continued along the frontage road toward Coopers Rock before meeting up with the RV.

  “Wow!” Tiff said, eyes still wide. Emma was sitting in the passenger seat of the RV, still a bit frazzled from the trip down the dirt road. “That was fun!” Tiff exclaimed. “Nothing fell out of the cabinets in the RV, so it couldn’t have been too bad.”

  We refueled and rested for about 15 minutes, catching our breath and grabbing another plateful of watermelon. I also made the rare suggestion of running a few miles out of my way, knowing that The Daily crew had never been in West Virginia before.

  “We only have a few miles to get to the finish point for the day, but there is no way I am getting this close to the Coopers Rock overlook and not running out there,” I said. “It’ll add three miles to our run for the day and take us off our route, but believe me, it’ll be worth it.”

  As far as I’m concerned, there’s no better beauty than the wonderful hills we were running through, and Coopers Rock provides one of the most gorgeous views in the area.

  The film crew continued to ask questions and get video of all of us running down the sun-speckled road through the Monongahela State Forest. As we approached the overlook, The Daily crew wanted to get video of me running out to the overlook, but I asked them to do me a favor.

  “When you get to the bridge that crosses over to the overlook, please let me go out there first,” I said. “I want to see your eyes as you take in the view for the first time.”

  The last time I had run out in this area, the trails and roads were covered in snow, with very few tracks other than my own in the snow. Today, it was well over 90 degrees, and everything was a beautiful green. I couldn’t help but smile as I stepped out where I could see for miles, with the Cheat River a thousand feet below me, and the rolling hills with a haze of humidity sitting on top of them. Looking to the west, I could see Morgantown, and the roads we had just run a few hours earlier. There was something surreal about looking to the end of the horizon and knowing that my feet had carried me from there and beyond.

  I turned around just in time to see Emma and her crew step up to the overlook.

  “Wow! What an incredible view,” Emma said. “And to have this in your back yard? This is amazing.”

  “This is my playground,” I said. “West, by God, Virginia.”

  “You’ve made us feel like we were family the past couple of days,” Emma said. “We can’t wait to come back. Now I understand how easy it is for you to do what you’re doing. Some of the most caring people we’ve ever met were here in West Virginia.”

  “It’s who we are,” I said. “We are a proud state, and with the highest number per capita of men and women in the armed forces, it’s very personal to us. We either served, have family members who served or know someone who has served. And we’re very proud of every single one of them.”

  We departed the overlook to head back to Morgantown, but later in the day, we were reminded that not everything in life happens as you think it should.

  Broken Promises

  When we began this journey, one of the things I wanted to get across to everyone we encountered was that every community could support their local veterans. We may need to sacrifice some things we would want for ourselves, but the veterans, who oftentimes sacrifice everything for the good of the country, far too often find the tools and resources that have been established for them don’t always meet their needs.

  Tiffany is a service disabled veteran, so we have a personal understanding of the obstacles that may occur when attempting to get the care and help from a VA hospital or other organizations that have become so big that, at times, they lose sight of their original mission. The men and women who have worn the uniform, especially those who have service-related physical or mental disabilities, should never have a need that isn’t met by these organizations. Unfortunately, red tape and bureaucracy far too often get in the way, and a lot of veterans just give up fighting what at times can seem to be a never-ending battle. They feel let down, and the fight for the care they have been promised sometimes seems to be more of a burden than it’s worth.

  It was very encouraging for us to find that more often than not, communities across the country wanted to help our veterans. We just found that a lot of times they didn’t know exactly what to do. That revelation gave me a lot of things to think about while I was out running. I wanted to discover how we could better support the veterans at a local community level. I also wanted all of the effort that we had put into this journey to pay off in more ways than just serving as a short-term fundraising effort.

  My family made a lot of sacrifices to make the run a possibility. We had to work with the school systems to get approval and support to take our kids out of their classrooms. We were excited that they
not only gave us their blessing, but also provided us with the materials and curriculum to make sure our children didn’t fall behind academically while they were gone. The schools even used the run as an educational tool for their classes.

  Tiffany and I were also asking our respective employers to be equally as supportive of the run since it would require about a four-month absence from our jobs. I accepted a new position at CityNet shortly before we left for the run. Jim Martin, the CEO, hired me knowing that I would soon be gone for an extended period of time. He supported the mission 100 percent and said that my position with the company would still be there when I returned. Not only did he follow through on that promise, but CityNet also provided support and encouragement throughout the run. CityNet was another example of a local company doing what it could to support my mission and, as a result, our nation’s veterans.

  Tiffany was eligible for assistance through the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program after she was discharged from the military, and used it to pursue a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. She enrolled at West Virginia University (WVU) as a freshman at the age of 29. WVU has one of the top baccalaureate dental hygiene programs in the country, and Tiffany worked hard her four years in school to do the best she could. She was recognized as not only the top graduate in her class, but also as a WVU Foundation Scholar, one of only 50 students to receive the prestigious award in the 2008 graduating class. As a non-traditional student, married with two young children, it was difficult at times for her to balance everything, but we did our best to support her in her education, and it all paid off.