JBER executive officer is more than a survivor

by David Bedard
JBER Public Affairs

1/16/2015 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Marathon runners call it "hitting the wall." It usually happens around mile 20, when a runner's body runs out of energy, starving muscles of the fuel they need to carry the distance.

Air Force Capt. Caitlin Oviatt, 673d Air Base Wing executive officer, said she hit a wall of sorts Jan. 3 during the Frosty Bottom 25-mile race in Anchorage.
Oviatt doesn't usually hit the wall encountered by other racers. She prepares by packing plenty of water and "chews" - small energy snacks designed to quickly replenish muscles.

The wall Oviatt hit during Frosty Bottom involved the perils of running a race in subarctic Alaska. An unseasonably warm December gave way to a cold first week in January. Oviatt's water and snacks froze, depriving her of the refreshment and energy she needed to go the distance. She hit the wall full on.

Oviatt has had to break through several walls during the course of her life in order to find her way to the front office at JBER, even before her Air Force career began.

The first hurdle
Oviatt was raised in a military family. Her father, retired Sgt. 1st Class Brian Lynch, was an Army Special Forces operator. Her oldest brother, Army. Maj. Tim Lynch, was the soccer team captain at West Point before he earned a field artillery commission. Her other brother, Army 1st. Lt. Dan Lynch, is an infantry officer and Army Ranger.

Even if a path to a military career seemed assured, the youngest Oviatt had to surmount obstacles if she wanted to earn an Air Force commission through the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. Though she was recruited for her soccer skills, her grades weren't good enough for a direct appointment. She would have to attend the USAFA Preparatory School for a year to compete for admission.

"I struggled a lot with academics," she said, before explaining how she weathered the tough academy curriculum. "I really think what got me through was work ethic. My dad and mom instilled that ethic in all of their kids. The academy is a tough educational experience, but anything is possible if you put your nose to the grindstone. If you have the passion and the determination to get where you want to go, you'll eventually get there even if you have to jump over some hurdles."

Finding her stride
Despite being soccer rookie of the year as a freshman, Oviatt would find a new passion her junior year: running. Though she didn't run competitively in high school, the cadet found her stride quickly enough to become captain of the academy cross-country running team her senior year. Soccer, the athletic pursuit of choice for her family, would give way to endurance runs over cresting hills and winding trails.

The captain took a year off of running in 2013, making it all the more difficult to become a competitive runner in 2014. Despite the challenge, Oviatt would finish second for women runners in Interior Alaska's Equinox Marathon, a race listed in the Weather Channel's top 15 toughest marathons.

The marathon sees a total elevation change of 3,285 feet and is often inundated with cold September rains that can cause hypothermia for participants.
Though the hilly conditions would pose a challenge to most runners, Oviatt said it played to her strengths.

"That is what I love to do," she said. "Mountain climbing - with my short steps - really suits me. It got me fired up."

The last three miles of the course, however, would prove more difficult to the officer. As if the bone-chilling rain wasn't enough, Oviatt's hills would give way to a level-plateau finale - forcing her to run flat out.

"It was tough," she said. "You have to dig deeper into your mind. All these thoughts pop in your head like 'This hurts.' You tell yourself 'You can do this.' You don't want to just survive; you want to thrive."

Oviatt finished the race second - the winner, Christy Marvin, having beaten the marathon record by nearly a minute. The accomplishment proved to Oviatt she could overcome limitations with the resolve and hard work ethos her parents taught her.

"A lot of times, it's your mind holding you back," she said. "Your body is capable of so many things, it just depends on your belief in yourself."

Frosty Bottom
At mile 17, her water and energy snacks frozen, Oviatt had hit the wall. Frosty Bottom is actually a 50-mile bicycle race that runs concurrently with a 25-mile foot race.

Oviatt was in need of hydration if she was going to post a competitive time, so she did what logistics readiness officers do best: she improvised.

As she passed bike riders, she asked them for the water she needed to carry the race. Fortunately, the riders obliged, giving her the refreshment and kindness that would see her through to the end.

"No matter how hard the wall hits during a race, you'll push through," Oviatt said. "Running has taught me that. Waking up everyday and just running is a
blessing."

In much the same way Oviatt surmounted her wall at Frosty Bottom, the executive officer overcame her early academic limitations, earning a bachelor's degree in behavioral science. She has since earned a master's degree in health psychology and will soon complete another master's degree in logistics.

The officer spent her first year of commissioned service as a soccer coach at the USAFA Preparatory School, coming full circle and allowing her to give back to the process that saw her through the academy.

"I thought it was the coolest thing," she said. "Being able to directly impact and influence [cadets] is what leadership is all about."

Her first assignment at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was flight commander of the base's central issue facility - an organization responsible for issuing Army newcomers with the equipment they need for arctic training.

Oviatt then moved to the base's joint mobility complex, an air terminal primarily built to accommodate Army airborne operations.

Throughout her military service, Oviatt said she viewed athletics as a way to set the example for the Airmen she serves with.

"Running for me is a way to communicate," she elaborated. "It's a way to motivate. It's a way to inspire. Even if it motivates just one Airman to train for and run a race - that is good enough for me."

Her efforts were not in vain. For Michael Boy, the JBER installation deployment officer at the JMC, Oviatt would serve as the inspiration for him to begin running as a way to improve his health.

"The best compliment I ever got was 'You helped save my life'," Oviatt said in reference to a conversation with Boy. "I run for selfish reasons - because I like it - but being able to truly affect people through the art of running, that's what I enjoy the most."