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 WICHITA, Kan. - Chief Master Sgt. Sidney Colliatie,
superintendent of the 184th Intelligence Support Squadron,
over the past few years, has been striving toward a goal
that is pretty amazing.
“I wanted to run a marathon
or half marathon in all 50 states and in the District of
Columbia before I turned 50 years old and I completed the
quest by 46 days,” said Colliatie.
Colliatie traveled
all over the United States and was able to run in some very
interesting places.
He ran down the Atlantic
boardwalk and across the Golden Gate Bridge. He was also
able to run around the Indy 500 race track as well as
Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. He even had the
opportunity to finish one of his marathons in the Marshall
University football stadium.
It was more than just
the joy of running for Colliatie. He was running to raise
money and which funds research to fight Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis, or ALS.
Colliatie ran five half marathons
in five states in five days in 2013 to raise money for ALS
in support of Paula Hilbert, wife of Colliaties's commander
Lt. Col. Brad Hilbert. The Airmen of the 184th Intelligence
Group donated money for every mile he ran and more than
$4,000 was raised.
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Left to right: Lt. Col. Brad Hilbert, Senior Master Sgt. Lou Locke, Col. Kreg Anderson and Chief Master Sgt. Sid Colliatie at the Hilbert Half Marathon in Hilbert, Wis., September 2012.
(U.S. Air Force photo provided by Matthew Mccoy)
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“Chief Master Sergeant Colliatie
has been an excellent chief, mentor and friend,” said
Hilbert. “I don't know that he fully knows how much his
efforts over the past two years have meant to my wife and
me.”
“We often speak of the Jayhawk family here at
the 184th,” said Hilbert. “Chief Colliatie embodies that and
my family and I are the direct recipients of his friendship
and the dedication he shows to the people around him. He is
more than my colleague and chief; he is my family as well.
We owe him a large debt of gratitude.”
Airmen from
around the wing also joined the effort to raise money
through running.
“It was very humbling to run in
support of ALS in honor of Paula Hilbert,” said Master Sgt.
Darla Griffin, 184th Force Support Squadron, Force
Development superintendent. “Things we take for granted
every day that people suffering from ALS cannot do, such as
breathing on our own, running and being able to eat, is my
motivation to run.”
In 2014, Colliatie joined other
Airmen of the 184th Intelligence Wing and ran the Air Force
marathon/half marathon and together they raised over $1,000
for ALS.
“Being able to run with countless Airmen in
the Air Force and the Marine Corps Marathon was
indescribable,” said Colliatie.
In all, Colliatie ran
30 marathons and 65 half marathons, which totaled 1,637.5
miles, the equivalent to running from Wichita, Kansas, to
San Jose, California.
“This has been very rewarding,
but I am glad the quest is over,” said Colliatie.
By U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Justin Jacobs
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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