A few feet away from the finish line, Cudd fell to the ground, curled up in a ball, and lay on the dusty dirt track. However, her companions weren’t having that, and their actions were unbelievable. Someone recorded what happened, and it went viral…
The Grueling Physical Test
Sarah Cudd and the rest of the soldiers had to complete a difficult test to earn the Expert Field Medical Badge. It was a very prestigious award for military personnel who passed a series of physical and written challenges, and it’s grueling!
The Grueling Physical Test
Down for the Count
Before she set out to achieve this honor, Sarah knew that it was difficult to earn. The pass rate is just 17 percent! That figure might have crossed her mind as she hit the floor on one of the many challenges set before her.
Down for the Count
Pushed to the Max
Cudd had already come far in the course, but this assessment seemed to push her to her limit. It was one of the last challenges she had to endure, but the 12-mile Foot March was the toughest part of the program!
Pushed to the Max
Harsh Rules
What’s the 12-mile march involve? Typically, the candidates must carry heavy equipment in backpacks while holding rifles and walking for 12 miles. However, they must also finish in less than three hours to get the badge. That’s pretty crazy!
Harsh Rules
Getting Noticed
Sarah attempted to complete this test in 2015 and was part of a group of 239 candidates. While that’s a fairly large number, Cudd’s experience stood apart from the crowd and made her an online sensation.
Getting Noticed
Captured on Camera
Only the final few feet of her 12-mile Foot March caught everyone’s attention on the internet because of what happened. Thankfully, an Army colleague captured the moment on video, so you have Captain Lloyd Mason to thank for this story!
Captured On Camera
Spread Like Wildfire
Captain Mason posted his footage on Facebook, and it quickly spread. What happened was so amazing that the video was shared more than 20,000 times on the networking site. Plus, YouTube viewers have watched it over a million times!
Spread Like Wildfire
Nothing Left
In the video, you see Sarah moving toward the finish line with her rifle in hand. However, the captain’s knees give way, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground, completely exhausted at this point.
Nothing Left
Ounce of Hope
Cudd doesn’t want to give up, and with steely determination, she gets to her feet once more. However, she only takes another few steps and collapses again. It doesn’t appear that Sarah is going to make it through to the end.
Ounce Of Hope
Utterly Defeated
Sarah is exhausted and lying on the ground with her backpack’s weight on top of her, and she’s in bad shape. However, the captain’s soldier friends do something amazing in that moment by pulling together!
Utterly Defeated
Get Up
Quickly, the soldiers gather around her while she’s curled on the ground and shout support. “Get up!” They yell that and “You’ve got it, ma’am!” The motivation hits Cudd where it matters, so she leans on the rifle, getting back onto her feet again.
Get Up
Shouts Continue
While she’s unsteady, Cudd starts marching again and is only a few feet from her finish line. Her colleagues continue shouting support, and some walk beside her while she fights for this honor.
Shouts Continue
Past the Line
Sarah’s determination and the amazing support take her over the finish line. It was a near-miss, though, because she collapsed right after she crossed it. Her colleagues are screaming with joy because she managed to make it through this grueling test!
Past the Line
One of 14
Cudd crossed the finish line in two hours and 47 minutes, making her among the 46 people to receive an Expert Field Medical Badge on that day. Plus, she was the only one out of 14 women to complete it in under three hours!
One of 14
Sigh of Relief
Sarah told ABC News that she only felt relief after she was done. However, she was thankful to those who supported her and willed her to that finish line. Clearly, she might not have made it without her colleagues there for support.
Sigh of Relief
True Hero
People have said that Cudd’s performance was very inspirational, too. For example, the Public Health Command of the US Army shared the video and included a caption saying that “Cudd shows us what not quitting looks like.”
True Hero
Just 5 Feet from Failure
That much attention actually humbled Cudd, according to ABC. Regardless, there’s no doubt that she did something impressive that day. Cudd herself said that she was about 5 feet from failure, but she made it in the end.
Just 5 Feet from Failure
Below the Surface
What went through Sarah’s head in that moment? She revealed it all to Fox News in a 2015 interview. She said that she thought about going home to her friends and husband cheering her on. They willed her forward, and she couldn’t have made it without the support!
Below the Surface
Double Life
Shannon Ihrke was a fellow servicewoman and hoped her squad treated her with kindness like Cudd’s had. During her service, she was keeping a secret. The Marine Corps Sergeant was leading a double life and worried about the truth coming out.
Double Life
On the Edge
Ihrke was young when she enlisted. She was 19 and attending college when a financial situation pushed her to find alternative options to studying and working. That’s when she decided to push herself mentally and physically through the military.
On the Edge
Added Bonus
If she enlisted in the Marine Corps, Ihrke could travel the world and serve her country. Eventually, she shipped out to Afghanistan and faced horrible conditions. Still, she enjoyed the experience and said that this was the best decision she had ever made.
Added Bonus
Climbing the Ranks
Shannon climbed the ranks and succeeded. Initially, she was an administrative assistant. The role often saw her handling travel orders, correspondence, and checking punishment books. However, that wasn’t what she wanted forever.
Climbing the Ranks
Battling Stigma
Ihrke wouldn’t stay in that position long. She worked hard to climb the ladder, and she was finally a Sergeant. However, she dealt with the stigma of being a female marine. Still, she didn’t let it bother her or take away from her experience.
Battling Stigma
The Second Secret Job
Shannon told the Military Times that it was hard to be a female marine, but she was determined to see what she was capable of doing and pushed herself to be the best. The work hard, play hard mentality helped her pick up a second job.
The Second Secret Job
Hiding the Truth
Ihrke had a secret, but she finally opened up about it all in 2019 when she gave an interview to Inside Edition. She revealed that she grew up in a small town and thought she was a boy for her first 10 years of life. She had no military aspirations at that time, though.
Hiding the Truth
Out of High School
Shannon didn’t know what she wanted to do after graduating from high school. College seemed like the most obvious step, but there was no determination or plan for her life afterward. However, she knew she was tired of going to school and working two jobs.
Out of High School
Financial Aid
Ihrke saw her college advisor to try and get financial aid. However, there was a catch: Shannon could only get free tuition in Minnesota if she was a single mother or enlisted in the military. She was quite confused and upset.
Financial Aid
Disbelief
That discussion made her choose to research different military branches. She was speaking to the Air Force recruiter one day, and a Marine Corps recruiter caught her on the way out. However, the man didn’t think Shannon had what it took to be part of the Marine Corp!
Disbelief
Challenge Accepted
That recruiter said that the program was tough, and a girl like her probably couldn’t make it through boot camp. Those discouraging words only made Ihrke want it more. This teenager chose to enlist, taking the challenge by asking the man where to sign up.
Challenge Accepted
Worry and Fear
Later, Shannon had second thoughts about her decision. She was on the plane heading to boot camp and thought, “What have I just done?!” It was partly because she knew that her new environment wasn’t exactly female-friendly.
Worry and Fear
The Man’s World
Ihrke had always been athletic, but everyone says the Marine Corps is a man’s world. Sadly, this environment caused her to feel self-conscious and judged the moment she arrived. She felt like she had a target on her back.
The Man’s World
Twice as Hard
The doubt others had for Ihrke didn’t put her off. Sure, she had to work harder to be seen as an equal, but her goal was to push herself to be better and prove that she deserved to be there. Plus, she had other female marines to support her.
Twice as Hard
Complete Inspiration
Shannon had beautiful female drill instructors to motivate her. Plus, she found mentors who helped her succeed in what appeared to be the boy’s club. Overall, you find out what you can do when you push yourself to the max.
Complete Inspiration
The Unexpected Promotion
Ihrke didn’t stop and continued pushing herself to do better. She received her first promotion after being in the service for two years. She was promoted from the E1 rank to E4, which often takes four years to complete!
The Unexpected Promotion
Hit the Target
Shannon liked guns and was very good at shooting the targets, which probably helped her move up in rank. It likely stemmed from her childhood because she shot guns with her dad for many years, never expecting it to help her in the Marines later.
Hit the Target
Honorably Discharged
It’s natural for people to judge someone by their appearances, but it makes you want to be better than the rest to show that you’re equal and can keep up. That philosophy fueled her, though she got honorably discharged in 2012.
Honorably Discharged
Exploring New Paths
When she left the Marines, Ihrke pursued other avenues. Eventually, she returned to school and studied at Elmhurst College to get a degree in science. However, she also chose to explore something that fell into her lap while she was nearing the end of her military career!
Exploring New Paths
Modeling Debut
While visiting friends in Chicago before leaving the Marines, a friend was holding a fashion show and asked her to walk the runway. That put her in touch with the fashion world and brought photographers from all over.
Modeling Debut
Horse Trainer
While she enjoyed many years in the modeling industry, she wanted to get back to her roots. Therefore, she decided to become a horse trainer and teach children how to ride. Currently, she has six horses for roping competitions and started a horse posse.
Horse Trainer
Motherhood
All that time working with kids helped her become a mother in October 2019. Aryana River was her first little bundle of joy, and she learned that she was expecting again in June 2020!
Motherhood
