JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. –
The “runner’s high” exhilarating; It is the body’s natural pain killer, and it is an overwhelming sense of euphoria that has fueled one MDL Airman’s drive for success.
“It’s a mix of adrenaline and emotion,” said Airman 1st Class Collin White, an air traffic controller with the 305th Operations Support Squadron, who has been riding the high through his Air Force career. “You’re just completely in the zone.”
White started running competitively almost 15 years ago after finishing in last place in his Chicago elementary school’s timed mile. It was then that his competitive nature truly took off, and running fueled his fire to win.
“Running is really the one sport where you only rely on yourself,” said White, who joined both his schools cross country and track and field teams. “Each run, each time you train, the goal is to be better than you were.”
On station at MDL for approximately 18 months, White’s passion and skill for endurance running did not go unnoticed by his leadership. In fact, it was his squadron leaders who encouraged White to participate in the JB MDL 2016 Service Member of the Year Competition earlier this year, where he won in the junior enlisted category.
“He really put his heart and soul into the competition,” said Staff Sgt. Justin M. Israel, a 305th OSS air traffic controller and White’s current supervisor. “And he destroyed it.”
Israel said White is motivated, competitive in nature, and inspires his fellow Airmen to always strive for greatness. White develops personalized workouts for his wingmen, was recently selected for Senior Airman below the zone, and completed his upgrade training in record time, Israel said.
“We are extremely proud of him and his accomplishments,” said Israel on behalf of his unit. “I think he’s going to continue to accomplish more than what people expect.”
However, White said he has his eye on more than just early promotion and joint base competitions - White recently earned a spot on the Air Force Marathon Team.
His application for the team included feats such as completing the 2-mile portion of the SMOY in under 12-minutes, and finishing 9th out of 10,500 runners in the Philadelphia half-marathon with a 6-minute pace, and crushing his first marathon in under three hours.
“I first heard about the [Air Force Marathon] team in basic training,” said White, who will run with the team later this September. “Ever since then, I made it one of my goals to make the team.”
For now, White continues to train, knocking off items from his Air Force bucket list and running circles around any barrier placed before him.
“Everyone always wants to know the secret workout or the secret supplement,” White said. “The only supplement is hard work.”