by Senior Airman Mariah Tolbert
4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
7/3/2013 - SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFNS) -- Her
heart beats faster and faster and beads of sweat drip down her face, as
she sprints toward the finish line just seconds ahead of several other
competitors.
2nd Lt. Samantha Morrison, a recent graduate of the Air Force Academy,
grew up the oldest of seven children that were all devoted and
competitive swimmers and is now an avid competitor in triathlons,
representing the Air Force.
Morrison competed and won the Armed Forces National Championships in her
first race as an active duty Air Force officer. She finished this race,
which involved a 1k swim, 40k bike and 10k run in 2:07.39, making her
the fastest woman triathlete in the Department of Defense and the third
fastest woman triathlete in the world.
"My siblings and I spent over 20 hours per week training with our local
club swim team," Morrison said. "My parents pushed us to be our best,
stay fit and get into the habit of an active lifestyle. I hated my dad
every Saturday morning at 5 a.m. when he would wake me up to go to
practice, but I thank him for it now."
At the age of 15, Morrison saw an ad in the newspaper for a half marathon and was determined to give it a try.
"I told my dad I was going to try it; he told me there was no way that I
could finish a crazy race like that, so I was motivated to prove him
wrong," she explained.
According to her resume, Morrison is in her seventh year of competing in
triathlons. She was recruited to run Division I cross country and track
at the Academy. After only one season, she decided that triathlon
racing was her true passion.
With the support of her friends and family, she continues to thrive as a competitor and an officer in the U.S. Air Force.
"It is hard for me to balance my family and friends with my training
schedule," Morrison said. "I end up spending all of my 'friend' time
working out with them, then we are too exhausted to do other fun things.
My family has started to get into the sport, so my dad will bike with
me and my sisters run alongside as well. This helps with being able to
balance both."
A 10k run, 40k bike and a 1k swim, seems like an exhausting task, add
competing and fighting for a top 3 position among hundreds of other
participants to that task and it seems rather daunting, however,
Morrison trains for nearly 25 hours a week in order to triumph in these
triathlons.
She said that her typical workout routine involves swimming for about an
hour in the morning, then a two-hour run or bike. She also incorporates
crossfit and weight training in order to avoid injury and stay strong,
but getting into this routine wasn't the easiest thing to do.
"I think that starting the routine is the hardest part, but once you
suck it up for a week or two, you'll feel like you are missing a part of
your life if you miss a workout," she said. "Just give the active
lifestyle a 7-day shot, and you'll get addicted, in a good way."
Morrison is slated to arrive at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, in
August of 2013. While on station, Morrison will be part of the public
affairs team and live the motto of "4th but First" by being the fastest
person within the DoD.
In October, she will race in the Ironman World Championships for the
second time. However, this year she competes representing the entire Air
Force, as their chosen women's representative.
"I hope that [competing in triathlons] helps me in my public affairs
career by showing people that I am dedicated to whatever I do in life,"
Morrison said. "I want to make the Air Force a career, but by competing
in triathlons on the side I hope it helps me stay active and busy. When I
am busy it makes me do a better job at everything in life."
Thursday, July 04, 2013
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