By Justin Dynia | WeINSPIRE Journalist

Boston, MA-- Under the hot Idaho sun, Jon Klipstein marched on for one of the most important missions of his life. Klipstein took part in the 100-Mile Ruck March a three-day challenge over Memorial Day Weekend in Boise and Meridian to raise money and awareness for mental health and suicide among veterans.

Klipstein worked in retail for years before serving two tours in Afghanistan. After leaving the army in 2013 and getting his degree, he founded UXO Supplements, a veteran owned organization to encourage veterans to achieve their fitness goals. A portion of their revenue goes to various veteran nonprofits and organizations. 

“Going into the military was life changing for me. You learn so much about yourself and about the world,” he said.

For Klipstein, staying in shape was about more than taking care of his body--it meant taking care of his mind. He was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Anxiety after his combat service. Dealing with these mental challenges on a day-to-day basis left him seeking a solution more enriching than typical medication.

“Fitness is my therapy,” said Klipstein. “I wanted to form a company that not only met a need, but also gave back.”

Klipstein organized Ruck100 with the same principle in mind. For those unfamiliar with military lingo, rucking is a relatively fast march while carrying a heavy pack which is a key part of training in the U.S. Army. It tests one’s mental endurance as much as physical endurance, making it a popular civilian training activity as well. But even in the army training, no troops ever have to ruck even remotely close to the centurion goal in which Klipstein set for himself.

Klipstein initially intended for his 100-mile ruck to be a private affair to honor fallen soldiers. After a Facebook post he shared garnered significant engagement, he opened it up to the public. Two others, John Ramos, a marathon runner, and Spencer Lynn, an Infantry Lieutenant from Pittsburgh, joined him for the rigorous training program they put together in February.

Over the course of three days on Memorial Day weekend, Klipstein and Ramos managed to ruck 70 miles and Lynn completed the whole 100 miles.

They raised $3,500 before the event from sponsorships alone and they donated over $7,000 for Mission 22, a nonprofit that puts programs and treatments together for veterans who suffer from PTSD. A 2012 study revealed that 22 veterans died by suicide each day. Klipstein himself has faced the harshness of that reality after five members of his brigade committed suicide shortly after ending their tour.

“It hits home because it happens all the time,” Klipstein said.

The community made sure to let the three brave warriors know they were not alone. Over a hundred people came to take pictures and cheer them on along the way. Some even joined the ruck for between one to twenty miles and shared their own stories. About 15 volunteers jumped in to help Lynn with his Ruck and ensure he made it over the finish line.

“The community engagement was great, they really kept us going,” Klipstein said. “It really meant a lot for others to come join us and share their own stories of friends who have taken their own lives.”

Next year, Klipstein plans to host a larger event next year with more participants. He hopes to revamp the training in order to push all participants to hit the 100-mile mark and further tap into the power of the already supportive community he has found. In addition, he wants to form more ties with sponsors to raise money and awareness for the core issues. And there’s no doubt he’ll end his ruck after 100-miles.

He hopes to see the narrative of veterans’ mental health change at all levels, from inside the military to the federal government, and to destigmatize the subject so veterans can be honest with themselves and their loved ones to seek the help they need.

On his hardest days, Klipstein points to his family as his chief motivator. “It’s important to find your happiness, and for me that’s my family. My wife and kids inspire me to do more and do better.”

The 100-mile Ruck March has developed into the support system that most veterans need but don’t have, and it has the potential to grow even more. Whatever the future holds for Klipstein, it will certainly be rucking awesome.