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By Editor Becky Watts
ZEBULON - "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile," said Andy Landers. "To me, that is more than a saying, it’s the way I hope to live my life for my wife, my children, my family, my friends, and the strangers I don’t know." Andy showed what that kind of determination looks like when he ran 11 miles with an American flag on Pike County roads to honor the victims and heroes of 911 on the weekend of September 11th.
Andy teaches 9th grade Algebra 1 at Pike County High School and has been a runner for six years. At first, it was just a way to stay in shape. Later on, he didn't need a reason to run other than he loved it!
After a time though, Andy said that he became somewhat burned out because that fun thing that he had once loved had become a chore. Then, one day about 3 years ago, he saw an advertisement for the Tough Mudder--"you know the 10-12 mile mud run where you get electrocuted, jump off a 30 foot high ledges into muddy water, climb over obstacles that are just crazy, climb under barbed wire in the mud"--and he saw all these groups running for various causes and I immediately "became intrigued."
"I talked to these people and they shared their stories with me and encouraged me to join them," he said. So he started inquiring into groups like Hoorah 2 Heroes, More Heart Than Scars, and 22 Too Many.
"After finding groups like these, running became more about running for their causes and not for me," he said. "I’ll never get burned out spreading the mission of these worthy organizations. There is so much good in those organizations."
The 11 Mile Run September 11th
Andy ran 11 miles with an American flag on Pike County roads to honor the victims and heroes of 911 on the weekend of September 11th. What prompted this run? A friend recommended the Facebook group called “11 On The 11th” that encouraged people to do a "virtual run" which is literally running whenever and wherever you want to run with no starting or finishing line.
Andy explained how the run worked. "11 On the 11th had runners from all 50 states represented to remember those that gave some and those that gave all. The organizers recommended running with the American Flag to help spark conversation about why we were running and to help spread the movement." Andy said that their Facebook page said, "Raise Old Glory high in the sky proudly and show everyone. WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!!”
Andy described the reaction and feedback from our community and his family and friends, as incredible. People passed him three or four times honking their horns. "I won’t forget the guy in the orange truck that kept passing me. He had a big grin on his face and he gave me the encouragement I needed to keep going. I probably saw him 4 times."
"I had many people scream out encouragement to me along the way." Andy said that he had not run that far in a long, long time. "There were times that I was really getting slow or feeling too tired then someone would come by at the right time to get me motivated and running again."
"My mom and dad drove by to check on me a couple time and nothing made me feel better than my dad telling me he was so proud of me." Andy said that his Dad is his hero and for him to say those words to him, "It’s something I’ll never forget."
And he did get some crazy stares. [Note from the Editor: Maybe this article will help those who were confused by the guy running with the American flag on the weekend of September 11th!]
Motivation for His Run
The 22 Too Many Movement is part of the motivation for his run that day. "22 Too Many is an organization that brings awareness to the fact that 22 military veterans commit suicide daily. Yes daily. Not in one month, or one year, but every single day. When I found out about this statistic, it put a huge burden on my heart."
There are many reasons for this devastating statistic, but Andy said that the most common are Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), the lasting effects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and the negative stigma in the military community around seeking help. According to their website, “Through athletic events, 22 Too many seeks to serve as a living memorial, increase public knowledge and awareness of PTS to help reduce the stigma, share helpful resources, and provide support and comfort to the grieving families left behind. Our goal is to see 22 reduced to 0.”
Running with 22 Too Many is different than running in a regular event where you get a medal, a t-shirt, race bib, headband, or patch. With 22 Too Many, you go to the website and select the hero who will be honored during your run. 22 Too Many then sends a file with the hero's information and a picture. The runner prints a picture of this hero and carries it during the run. After you finish the race, you write a note of encouragement to the family and include the medal, shirt, bib, headband, or patch to the fallen soldier's family.
"By doing this, you are letting the hero’s family know that their son or daughter, or husband or wife life will never be forgotten," Andy explained. He ran to honor LCpl Cody Engen, USMC, CAPT Jamie Brunette, USAF, and MSG Charles Allen Young.
Future Plans and Dreams
This isn't the only race where Andy will be running to honor a fallen military veteran. September 26, he ran The Savage Race. Upcoming events include is the Athens Half Marathon on October 25th, hopefully The Tough Mudder in Central Florida on November 7th, November 14th is the Spartan Beast, The Green Beret Challenge is February 20, 2016, and The Tough Mudder in Atlanta on May 7th, 2016.
"My absolute DREAM race would be to run the World’s Toughest Mudder in November 2016," he said. This is a 24-hour event in the Las Vegas desert. "My goal would be to run 30 plus miles during the 24-hour event. This event will be a big financial burden ($1500) but I’m starting to save now for it."
"When is the last time you did something for the first time?" is a quote that has stuck with Andy since the day that he heard it. He is living it every time he runs as well as every time he runs to honor others as he has done here in Pike County on September 11, 2015. "I encourage everyone to never give in to their fears or their nay-sayers. If you believe it, work for it. If you want it, go get it."
How did I get this story? Pike County Times was linked to a picture on Facebook of a Pike County resident running 11 miles for September 11th with an American flag. His story made me cry, but in a good way. I am thankful to readers who care enough about good news to make sure that I got in touch with Andy and to Andy for caring enough to let me tell his story.
