Marine Corps Capt. Maggie Seymour ran 161 miles in 2016 to raise awareness for her fallen sisters in arms. This year, she’s taking it to a whole new level by running 3,300 miles — from San Diego to Virginia Beach — as she transitions from active duty to the Reserve.
The 31-year-old marathoner and Iraq War veteran is not just running for the sake of exercise, however. Seymour is raising money for Team Hoyt — a charity organization that supports athletes with cerebral palsy — and she chose Virginia Beach as her destination because that’s where Team Hoyt is headquartered.
But Seymour plans on doing still more. “I’m raising money for some nonprofits,” Seymour told Task & Purpose. “I wanted to do some gifts along the route.”
Though the money she raises will primarily go to Team Hoyt, Seymour also plans to donate farming tools and supplies to midwestern communities like Alexander, Illinois, where she grew up.
Seymour started her journey July 22 and aims to finish on Oct. 28. Her route follows the famous Route 66 highway, and she hopes to cover 35 miles every day, with one rest day each week.
“Over the past 10 years I have worked closely with the veteran, Gold Star families, and special-needs athletes communities,” Seymour wrote in a blog for the veterans advocacy group The Mission Continues. “This run is for them.”
WATCH NEXT: