Longevity. It isn’t just about living a long time, it’s about truly living. Having a supportive community that helps balance physical, mental and spiritual wellness can enable us to do seemingly impossible things like finishing a marathon, completing your first 50K, running 100 miles, or even running nearly 500 mountainous miles in Colorado in the fastest known time.
Jeff Browning (aka Bronco Billy) is the poster child for longevity in a sport that rarely sees race winners over the age of 50. After 24 years of competing in mountain ultra trail races all over the world and racking up over 40 career ultra wins from 50K to 240 miles, Jeff is taking on his biggest challenge yet: running the 490-mile Colorado Trail in pursuit of the supported Fastest Known Time (FKT). The rugged trail crosses the Rocky Mountains from Durango to Denver and will require an effort that’s faster than 6 days 15 hours 8 minutes.
An integral part of The Longevity Project, Jeff will be raising money and awareness for the Warrior Trail Foundation (WTF). Their mission is to help veterans to survive and thrive in life after their service to our nation. The WTF provides coaching and mental-wellness services to veterans who choose trail running as their form of recreational therapy. The process is simple, but the program participants are complex. Each veteran gets a tailored solution to meet their personal goals through individualized coaching and ongoing support.
Research shows that one of the biggest contributing factors to veteran self-harm and suicide is the lack of community and support following separation from their units. The WTF aims to plug veterans into the trail-running community — a group known for its inclusiveness, equality and mutual support. The acronym is no accident. WTF is an homage to the warrior mindset, one in which taking risks is calculated and necessary to accomplish the mission. In this case, the mission is to live well.
Growing up in the midwest, Jeff was surrounded by family and friends who served in the military. A life-long supporter, his desire to give back is exemplified in this project. Jeff’s coaching business, GiddyupUltra, is committed to working with veterans and WTF. Future plans include the development of a mountain running camp where veterans can further develop and find community with other trail runners. The combined challenging physical training and social experience of camp life is exactly what veterans miss most from their service time. It’s the human connection that fuels the soul, and that’s the benefit of belonging to the trail-running tribe.
Please support Jeff and the Warrior Trail Foundation in The Longevity Project. The subsequent documentary about the FKT attempt and the veterans who help him succeed will benefit all U.S. Military Veterans as we show what can happen when you aren’t afraid to dream big.
