Students in Professor Tom Wetter’s First-Year Seminar course “Running and the Meaning of Life” may have found answers and inspiration from guest speakers David Chrisinger ’09 (social science history) and Brett Foley. The two childhood friends are running a 50-mile ultramarathon on October 26, 2013, to raise $10,000 for The Mission Continues, a national service organization that helps veterans transition from the military to service and leadership programs where they can continue to serve in their communities.
The two took different paths out of high school. Chrisinger played football for the Pointers and needed to find a competitive replacement after graduation, so he started to run. Meanwhile, Foley who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was searching to find a purpose during his transition to civilian life. And that’s when they reconnected.
Chrisinger and Foley helped each other through life struggles and running became a means to reach their goal of helping veterans find renewed strength and purpose.
While we train for this race and raise money for The Mission Continues, we will also be sharing Brett’s story. It is our hope that by sharing Brett’s struggles (as well as his triumphs), we can make meaning amid the suffering and show other veterans that it is possible for them to take back their lives.
Created by faculty from all across campus especially for first-year students, First-Year Seminars are small 3-credit seminars prepare students to thrive at UW-Stevens Point.
More about Chrisinger and Foley’s story:
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