Around the same time of his sister’s accident, Hipol’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and after a hard-fought battle, she passed away in 2012.
“Having experienced the traumatic events with my sister and mother at such a young age, I started to battle with panic attacks and anxiety,” said Hipol. “The fear of trying things became a reoccurring theme throughout my life because of what I experienced and it began to affect my daily life.”
In 2015, Hipol decided that joining the Air Force was his first step in overcoming his fears.
Now 25, Hipol, is currently on a special-duty position as a Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System support office consultant at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing and said after joining the Air Force, he has seen the possibilities and opportunities that he never thought he would have.
Hipol credits the Air Force for giving him a skillset and the realization of his potential.
“I never thought I could be a part of something like the Air Force,” said Hipol. “I am a part of this one big team, and even more a family.”
Hipol’s resiliency was challenged one more time when his marriage unexpectedly came to an end last year while stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.
“Over a matter of days, out of nowhere, I was divorced,” said Hipol. “When I joined the military, being away from my family was already a big change for me, and now I had to overcome this without them here to support me.”
That’s when Hipol said he had to rely on everything he had been taught on comprehensive fitness and reached out to his Air Force family for help.
“Although they were once strangers to me, I spoke with my chaplain, my supervisor and other Airmen in my flight,” said Hipol. “Everyone was amazing and extremely supportive when I told them what I was going through. Even when I just needed to get away, members in my flight would let me come over and sleep on their couch. Without them, my options would have been limited to where I could go and feel safe.”
Hipol also incorporated physical fitness as an outlet to overcome his grief and decided to take up running.
“I felt like I needed to transform the emotional pain that I was going through to the soles of my feet so I started running, and it worked,” said Hipol. “I started with running short distances and gradually built up to longer ones.”
Apparently Hipol ran distances long enough that in April he decided to register to run the full marathon (26.2 miles) at the Air Force Marathon Sept. 21.
“The idea of running that far makes me scared, but I won’t overcome my fears unless I face them,” he said.
Hipol began training mid-May using an 18-week training program created by runner and author Hal Higdon. In addition, Hipol is vegan and will be completing this marathon fully plant-based.
As a first-time marathon runner, Hipol foresees his challenges with running the marathon as the mental and physical toll he will experience as he reaches particular mile markers. Unsure how his body will react through training, he has already seen improvements and has great confidence he has what it takes.
Another challenge Hipol is concerned with is finding the time to run but says training is his number one priority. So rain or shine, he gets his miles in.
“I have endured many difficulties in my life – as we all do, and instead of seeing them as failures or disappointments, I chose to start seeing those challenges as opportunities,” said Hipol. “Even if the outcome isn’t what I expected, I know that I will come out better, stronger, and wiser as long as I try my best.”
The 2019 Air Force Marathon is presented by Northrop Grumman, USAA and Boeing and is scheduled for Sept. 21. The Sports & Fitness expo is scheduled for Sept. 19-20. The Breakfast of Champions is scheduled for Sept. 20, from 8 to 10 a.m. and the Gourmet Pasta Dinner is scheduled for Sept. 20, starting at 5:30 p.m. For more information about the Air Force Marathon go to www.usafmarathon.com.
* This is the first of a series of articles that will publish on Hipol’s progress leading up to the Air Force Marathon.
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