Hard work, motivation inspires 100th SFS cross-country athlete

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  When she was 8 years old, Jessica Garcia's mom would often take her to Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis, Minn., to walk around its 3-mile loop.

Because she was impatient - and she didn't like walking - Jessica started jogging, then running, until she was able to run the entire 3-mile lap. She also started noticing she was faster than other people.

Now 24, Garcia, a staff sergeant in the 100th Security Forces Squadron, has just come back from Amsterdam, where she participated in the Headquarters Allied Air Command Ramstein Cross-Country Championships Nov. 14, 2012. She was on the U.S. Air Forces in Europe cross-country team, competing against other runners from air forces in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom.

Running the 5K cross-country event, Garcia placed third individually on the USAFE team, and 13th overall out of 30 female runners.

All sorts of sports

In high school, Garcia competed in the 800-meter, 1-mile and 2-mile events. She also played soccer and ice hockey; she said she has always loved sports.

"I ran in high school for a couple of years, but when I switched over to the urban location of Minnesota, I was one of the top performing runners for track and field," said the Apple Valley, Minn., native.


"I don't know what I'd do without sports - it's my drug!" she said, describing the adrenalin rush it gives her.

After moving to Apple Valley, she discovered she was pretty good at running distances, as she had the endurance to sustain it.

"I didn't know much about competitive running, and my coach was very persuasive in getting me involved," said the athlete. "So I started cross-country running and became one of the top five runners on the varsity team. We made the state championships for the two years I was on it."

Garcia said her track and field varsity team also made the state championships two out of the four years she was in.

Heading for a marathon

"After you see so much in the world and you hear about people's experiences, you start to learn more about competitive running, and I became interested in longer distances."

She ran her first marathon while stationed in Japan, at age 20.

"I ran the wing 5K regularly and I broke the record for the fastest time for a female. I also held the record for the female fastest mile-and-a-half."

The staff sergeant said she'd love to run an ultra-marathon in the future, in the footsteps of one of her inspirational role models, Lt. Col. Chris Bennett, 100th Operations Support Squadron commander, who recently completed the London to Brighton Ultramarathon. Bennett was also on the men's USAFE team for the cross-country event in the Netherlands.

"I was told to hold off until I'm in my 30s, because women peak in endurance athletic performance in their 30s," she said.

A runner's inspiration

Though she's had many mentors in regards to sports and running, one of those who inspired her greatly was her former coach, Heather Fitzloff.

"She was a mother of three boys, and could run a five-minute mile - sometimes sub-five-minute. Colonel Bennett has also been a big inspiration to me at RAF Mildenhall, so has watching the Olympics and seeing our country's athletes perform and push themselves."

Garcia said her parents have also been another big inspiration in her life; they both run, and her dad used to compete in long jump and high jump events.

Anything you can do, I can do better

"(I have surpassed) what I believed was my limit, and continue to push," said Garcia.

The cross-country runner said it was hard growing up being one of the only girls playing sports - but she didn't care as it was fun, and she enjoyed it so much.

Support is key

Garcia has a very supportive squadron, supervisor and commander, and one of her former troops, Senior Airman Jon Porubsky, was a great inspiration to her as an experienced cross-country runner who coached the high school team at RAF Lakenheath.

"To hear about his running and experiences was very inspiring to me," said Garcia. "He gave me some programs to do and, within a few weeks, my times had improved. Until that point, I'd cut back on my running for a while, put he encouraged me to pick it back up again."

When she found out she'd been chosen for the USAFE team, the 100th SFS sergeant said she was excited to know she would be competing with and against individuals who cared about running, and were as passionate about it as she was.

"I just wanted to be a part of it, and represent the Air Force and my country, and was looking forward to new experiences and new levels of competition," she said.

Looking forward

As for the future, Garcia plans to compete in marathons, and hopes to qualify for the U.S. Air Force team in track and field events.

Her supervisor, Master Sgt. Mario White, 100th SFS Plans and Programs superintendent, said Garcia is an extremely professional NCO, who epitomizes the Air Force core values.

"As the NCO in charge of the visitor control center, she uses her knowledge to mentor and develop her Airmen, and still finds time to take college classes after work.

"Her willingness for success is a driving force; her rigorous training program while getting the job done is a true testament! I'm very proud of her accomplishments, not only being selected for the USAFE cross-country team, representing Team Mildenhall, but her results as well," said White. "I know she has a very bright future in the Air Force."

Editor's note: Lt. Col. Chris Bennett, 100th OSS, represented RAF Mildenhall in the USAFE men's cross-country team. Master Sgt. Jacob Williams, 48th Civil Engineer Squadron, and 2nd Lt. Reanna Lacher, 48th Mission Support Group, both RAF Lakenheath, were also on the USAFE teams.