JROTC 5K Run, Walk, and Wheel group photo.
The Stallion Battalion cheers on two community members as they finish the run.
JROTC’s 5K Run, Walk, and Wheel 1st place winner C/CPL Noah Cepeda with the other cadets.
Participants register for the run.
TINIAN — On Jan. 13, 2024, Tinian’s Stallion Battalion organized a five kilometer run, walk, or wheel around San Jose village inviting the community to join in the event.
The event was part of a service learning project and was created to promote awareness on the importance of physical fitness to prevent the acquirement of non-communicable diseases (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, etc.). The goal of the event was to increase public understanding of physical health and push for a better lifestyle that incorporates exercise in their routine.
The beginning location was at Natibu Park, where from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m., participants registered and were given a number assigned to them for the run, blood pressure and blood sugar was also taken.
At about 6 a.m., runners started their journey from Natibu Park all the way to Bar-K Diner. From there they would pass by locations such as Queen’s Bar and House of Taga before going back to the starting location. Upon their return, they were met with refreshments and an assortment of healthy fruits and snacks.
When asked about challenges the battalion leadership faced during this event and how they overcame it, C/CPT Tano King said, “A challenge we faced was the lack of preparation we put into this event. At some points we realized that we never thought of a certain problem if we were to face it. However, with the leadership experience that the four of us have, it was easy because of how well we worked together.”
“The challenge throughout this whole event was the planning. I had to constantly reach out to people and send emails and calls just to get a response for if they were willing to donate to us and support us in our event. I think that was the hardest part for me because it was stressing me out a lot just waiting on a response,” said C/1LT Sophia Su.
We then asked how it felt being able to lead this event.
“It felt great being one of the leaders for this event. I love seeing the community come together for special occasions other than fiestas and parties,” said C/CPT Tano King.
“Although the planning part of the event was hard, after seeing the event happening it was like a stress reliever since everything pulled through and it was a success after all,” said C/1LT Sophia Su.
What were some memorable moments/highlights the cadets experienced while volunteering?
C/SSG Hong Zhang said, “The event was very fun especially when I ran with the water. Every volunteer had their own stations while I chose to keep moving and be the mobile water station aka ‘Water Boy.’ At first, I thought it was the 5-gallon jug. I was surprised, I didn’t expect to be carrying only one bottle while running.”
We also asked a few community members what they thought about JROTC’s 5K Run event. Lucy Blanco-Maratita and Angelina Lyerla stated, “It was a good event, really enjoyable, well put together, and a very solid community experience.”
We hope that everyone who joined the run had fun and enjoyed themselves while gaining an understanding of physical health that they can share with the community!
