Run The Race

She's an Uptown girl (in Columbus GA) and the founder, leader of an online magazine and platform called "Electric City Life" for more than a decade. Through it, she promotes positive things happening in the community - local events, music, films, more. Jacy Jenkins is also on a new journey of sobriety and faith.

(2:29) Jacy says she's not an alcoholic but has done plenty of social drinking, but now she's been sober, no alcohol for more than 7 months now. Why did she make that choice? She explains what it has to do with clarity, God, joy, family loss, and today's culture.

(17:49) After graduating from UGA, Jacy felt called to inner city Los Angeles where she helped at The Dream Center, the umbrella for 200 ministries and an opportunity to meet a lot of celebrities. There are 2 big lessons she learned there. Then, from Compton back to Columbus GA, she saw rapid revitalization in the Fountain City and a new culture, with whitewater rafting as the catalyst.

She's the national director of the world's largest Christian humanitarian organization that's been helping people in poverty for 75 years, across 100 different countries. And later this week, this mom and recent cancer survivor is running the Berlin Marathon for the cause...while I'm training now to run the NYC Marathon this fall for Team World Vision too!

(3:20) Lyndsey Dean Ratchford aka "LDR" leads Team World Vision. During her more than a dozen years with the organization, she's personally raised $250,000 to help bring clean water to more than 4,000 people. We start with her journey to running and TWV that started back in college, with she and a friend healing from failed relationships. 6 years ago, she took on the national dir role for the largest non-governmental supplier of water in the world, all in the name of Jesus.

(9:23) LDR also saw the struggle for herself, walking with two moms in North Kenya, an 8 hour and 11 mile roundtrip - that journey featured in a new documentary "Long Walk For Water" being shown soon at film festivals. (19:40) She also touches on the Biblical principals of the nonprofit...how generosity is the currency of the Kingdom of God...and how Jesus showed us the power of relationships. TWV has showed her how everyday people can do extraordinary things through the power of God, including hard things - like running a marathon.

After a recap of my 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb - going up 2200 stairs alongside first responders and others in memory of the firefighters that died in the September 11 attacks - we talk another very pivotal event for our nation: the Vietnam War and special events this week and beyond in Columbus GA on the heels of the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.

(7:55) But first, military historian and Columbus State University professor Dr. Dave Kieran talked with me about his fitness habits outside the classroom and away from the studies of history. He's run 4 full Ironmans and 24 full marathons. Why does he and his wife get up 5am most mornings to exercise? What are his favorite races so far? And this history junkie also has found running through a big city is the best way to see it.

(24:03) Dr. Kieran's passion for teaching and military and history was prompted, in part, by one of the greatest track coaches of all-time, also his HS english teacher Hal Croft in PA, who was also a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran. He shares stories about this demanding mentor and also how that conflict resonates with his generation too.

(35:35) This professor and author of several books - like "Signature Wounds" about soldiers mental health amidst Middle East wars - also describes how history gives us an important perspective.

(45:18) With April 2025 marking 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War, his school CSU is hosting 6 free events over the next 8 months to help deepen the understanding of that war's impact, starting with a lecture from an expert on Thursday evening September 11: https://events.columbusstate.edu/#events/tag/Hallock.

A decade after injuries ended his Army career, a man known as “SGT Big Country” is succeeding in adaptive sports – with parts of his legs missing – and placing 3^rd at track and field nationals recently in seated disc throw, while a documentary about his inspiring journey will be streaming soon.

(2:38) Disabled veteran and Pro Para athlete Brian Conwell took a break from training and hopped on our podcast to talk about the major crash, dark days/years of depression that followed and teaching himself to walk again…

(9:13) what the military taught him about resilience and fitness, as he overcame news from doctors and misconceptions of disability…

(13:51) his adaptive sports journey that could land him on Team USA in the Paralympics, including competing against the best this summer in Oregon, what his average training days look like in the gym and with throwing coach…

It's been almost 24 years since the attacks on America that tragic day of September 11, 2001. Columbus GA is hosting its inaugural Memorial Stair Climb at the Columbus Civic Center on Saturday morning, September 6 and the organizer of that event is my "Run the Race" guest. Dr. Ken Calain also talks about the cause that event with 2,200 steps benefits...how he helps people as a chiropractor...having that medical role for 3 local semi or pro teams in town...being a father of 8 kids and more.