Wounded Warrior Project Carry Forward 5K

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Women Online and Wounded Warrior Project® to help further their important mission of honoring and empowering wounded warriors!

We’re helping to bring awareness to the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) Carry Forward® 5K, delivered by CSX®. This powerful and unifying experience raises mission-critical funds for services and resources for wounded veterans.

The Carry Forward 5K has options that are either specific to a location (done virtually on the same date) or completely virtual at a date if your choosing, so anyone is encouraged to sign up. Even if you are not a runner, you can do the 5K event either by a run or walk in your community at your pace and schedule, as I did.

Follow along with hashtags #WWPCarryForward and #ICarryFor to read all the inspiring stories and support from fellow military and civilians sharing for the cause.

What is the Wounded Warrior Project Carry Forward 5K:

WWP supports warriors (veterans and service members injured while in service on or after September 11, 2001) in mental and physical wellness. Every warrior has unique challenges and goals, so WPP provides a variety of veteran programs and services (at no charge) to help warriors reach their goals.

Participants choose to complete the Carry Forward 5K in one of three symbolic ways:

Carry a flag to show support and patriotism.
Carry a weight to represent the responsibilities veterans carry while serving our country.
Carry another person to symbolize one warrior carrying another in their time of need.

The I Carry For campaign puts the symbolism of “carrying for” a wounded warrior, veteran, and active duty military member front and center.

Why I signed up for the Carry Forward 5K:

As a military spouse, my support for veterans, past and present, is no surprise. My husband has been in the US Army since before we married. So our entire family life together has been tied to the military in some form. We started as National Guard for a decade before switching to the active duty lifestyle.

Through this time, I have had a chance to meet some fantastic people, brave and influential men and women who defend their country and families daily.

But I’m not the first in the family to love a man in uniform. My grandfather was a service member as well, and we have a collection of his medals and awards. He is no longer with us, and I carry him in my heart.

I registered myself as part of this campaign, but we did the virtual 5K as a family. We walked, with our 5-year-old, on post one quiet Saturday afternoon. We enjoyed the workout – a challenge for those of us (me) who lead mostly sedentary lifestyles – and got to do something meaningful to show support and patriotism.

Participating in the Carry Forward 5K is a great way to teach our son what it means to be patriotic and support a cause, to get him out and active during this crazy time, and to get him off his tablet!

Our son understands the sacrifices for freedom, having Daddy away for a year and a half of his life, but doing this walk is a way to show him how to support and empower with those sacrifices our service members and families experience.

Register for the WWP Carry Forward 5K

You can do the same! Join us for a virtual 5k, at your pace separately, or socially distanced with others. Show your patriotism and support and help us honor and empower wounded warriors.

You’ll be supporting a wonderful cause – your registration, donation, and any funds you raise go directly to help the WWP mission.

Help me put the WWP mission of honoring and empowering wounded warriors in motion by learning more about Wounded Warrior Project and Carry Forward.