Mile 19
- SurvivorNet TV’s film “Mile 19” features the inspiring story of a Vietnam veteran using running as a way to heal.
- Johnnie Jameson participated in his first marathon in 1986, and has been running the Los Angeles Marathon ever since.
- No matter what aches he may experience during the marathon, he always pushes through to the end.
When Vietnam veteran, and current mailman, Johnnie Jameson moved to Los Angeles, he knew he needed to heal from past trauma he was holding onto. He ended up finding solace in an unexpected place — running. In 1986, he decided to lace up his running shoes and participate in his first ever Los Angeles Marathon, in which he ran backwards and ended up in last place. However, when he saw the certificate congratulating him on finishing the marathon, it inspired him to keep going and continue charming the crowd with his humorous antics. He doesn’t do it for the competition or physique. Instead, he uses it as a way to escape reality and help heal from past pain.
Read More “When you get to that 19th mile mark and know you got seven miles, and you think about that, man that’s gonna haunt you; that’s gonna tear you down,” Johnnie says. “But you got to put that aside and just go. You gotta grind it out because life aint nothing but a grind. If you’re breathin’, get up and go do it.”
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