The Moment That Changed Everything

I stood on a cold, dark beach, waves hammering the shore, failure still burning in my muscles — and for the first time in years, I felt my dad right there with me.
That was DAGGER.
That was the night a ruck, a rifle, and the roar of the ocean cracked me wide open.

I didn’t go to Green Beret Fitness looking for a win. I went looking for something different — a place where I could test myself solo, fail without shame, and grow without limits. GBF gave me all of it, and more. It gave me a mission. It gave me a crucible.

Finding My Way to GBF

The journey started before GBF. I had done the Dirty Turtle ruck once — 16 miles, 4,000 feet of gain, legs on fire — and it humbled me. But it also planted a seed. I wanted to be better. I wanted to compete. I wanted to see how far I could push before something broke.

Then came my first GBF event: IRON PEAK.
The mountains didn’t care about my résumé or excuses. Steep switchbacks bit into my calves. My lungs felt like they were pulling glass. Somewhere along that climb, I met Sam — quick exchanges, shared glances, me feeding her tag times before she surged ahead like she had wings. She didn’t just pass me; she left me in her dust.

From there, the floodgates opened. DARK HORSE showed me grit under weight. OCALA 2024 — in perfect Florida weather — showed me the power of a team. We finished inside the cut-off, smiles cracked wide, the weight of miles shared across shoulders.

Back at the Dirty Turtle in 2024, I wasn’t just surviving — I was competing. GBF had turned me from a participant into a threat.

The Doors GBF Opened

GBF didn’t just hand me medals. It opened doors.
VEGAS burned me under desert heat.
YOSEMITE — with its staggering climbs — showed me beauty can hurt like hell.
CENTURY humbled me with 42 of 100 miles, a lesson in limits and mental fire.
THEO reminded me that strength isn’t just measured in miles; it’s measured in what you give back. We carried toys, not just rucks, and lit up the faces of kids who needed it most.

Then came DAGGER — the one that split me open. Pull-ups failed me. The fireman’s carry ended me. But that night on the beach… the pounding surf, the salt on my lips, the quiet between waves… it brought my dad back for a moment. Failure didn’t feel like the end. It felt like the start of something deeper.

The Redemption of OCALA 2025

OCALA 2025 was my redemption.
No team. No safety net. Just me, 67 miles, and the ghosts of every lesson I’d learned. The chaos of the course didn’t break me — it sharpened me. I finished 2nd, not because I was the fastest, but because I refused to let go of every scrap of knowledge GBF had drilled into me.

Pushing Further Into GBF

MOAB tested me on slickrock and silt, the sun pressing down like a hand.
TWO-ZERO — 32 pounds on my back, 5,300 feet of gain — took nearly eight hours of grind.
YOSEMITE again, but this time it wasn’t about me. It was about Megan’s redemption, Gregg’s leadership, and being exactly where I needed to be.

Pushing beyond GBF

GBF has also given me the confidence to step into other endurance challenges — a second attempt at the Barkley Fall Classic later this year, followed by my first Backyard Ultra. Without GBF, those races wouldn’t even be on my radar.

The Crucible and the Mission

I’ve now completed a good number of GBF events, each one leaving its mark. And each one has pushed me into other endurance arenas I never would have considered before.

But GBF isn’t just a race series to me. It’s been my forge. My proving ground. My safe place to fail and my stage to rise.

I’ve trained in mountains and deserts, in perfect weather and brutal heat. I’ve carried strangers’ stories on my back and found pieces of myself I didn’t know were missing. I’ve been broken, rebuilt, and sharpened, again and again.

If you’ve ever wondered what you’re made of, stop wondering.
Find the place that will strip you bare, test your limits, and build you back stronger.
For me, that place is Green Beret Fitness.
You’ll find yours — if you’re willing to step up.

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FORGED IN FAILURE. FUELED BY GRIT.
This is Carrving Trails — my journey to keep moving forward, to live with purpose, and to chase adventure wherever the trail leads. If my story lit something in you, maybe it’s time to start your own.
I’ll see you out there.