“I find enjoyment in the suffering.” This may at first seem like an odd statement, but this is how 2LT Julie Keppner describes her love of challenges.
Her statement speaks to how she deals with challenges — she thrives on them. 2LT Keppner of the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Washington National Guard, remains in constant search of the next obstacle to overcome.
Her need to constantly push herself propelled 2LT Keppner not only as she rose through the ranks of the Washington Army National Guard, but also as she completed an astonishing 100 racing competitions – including 50 Spartan Races, seven marathons and 21 half marathons.
Her “no quit” winner’s mindset has earned 2LT Keppner a reputation for being a warrior and a champion.
2LT Keppner’s passion for racing was first sparked before she joined the Army National Guard. It started after a series of actions that had far more to do with being a supportive friend than with being a great athlete. She ran her first half marathon in 2012, after going to California to visit a friend. While there, she learned that her friend was scheduled to run a race and was going to run the race alone. Wanting to support her friend, 2LT Keppner ran the 13.1-mile race without any training.
Her success in that race made her question whether she was capable of even more.
“If I can simply walk on and complete a half marathon without training, what else can I do,” 2LT Keppner said. “That first year I signed up for several half marathons and three obstacle races.”
2LT Keppner ran her first Spartan Race that same year and she quickly gained a love for the taxing competition. The Spartan Race consists of a series of obstacle courses of various lengths. The courses are designed to test participants’ physical and mental toughness. There are a series of different races, including the Spartan Sprint, which ranges from three to five miles with 20-23 obstacles; a Spartan Super, which is eight miles of rugged terrain with 25 or more obstacles; a Spartan Beast, which is at least 12 miles and includes more than 30 obstacles; and the Spartan Ultra Beast, which is more than 26 miles and has at least 60 obstacles.
Of the 50 Spartan races 2LT Keppner has completed, three have been Beasts and another three have been Ultra Beasts.
“After my first Spartan Race, I was hooked and wanted to continue racing harder and longer events,” 2LT Keppner said.
She kept looking for ways to challenge herself. She added a ruck sack when running half marathons, and completed multiple races a day. She began running back-to-back races in a single weekend, then increased that to running back-to-back races on back-to-back weekends. Eventually, she was running the equivalent of about 50 miles of course per weekend. 2LT Keppner has now traveled the country racing. She has competed in three Spartan Race World Championships.
“My favorite thing about the races is that they are all different and they are all challenging,” 2LT Keppner explained. “Each time I race an event, I learn something new about myself. I am motivated by self-improvement and personal development,” she went on to say. “I find that being willing to discover weaknesses and being open to making personal changes keep me motivated to test my abilities and gain new knowledge.”
Always inspired to share her uniquely strong drive with others, 2LT Keppner works as a fitness coach at her business, Believe Achieve Fitness.
“I find that I am motivated by helping others and [encouraging] them to try and do more,” 2LT Keppner noted. “As I started to believe that I was capable of doing more, I felt that I could achieve more. I wanted to help others discover their own abilities. I like seeing others succeed.”
It was because of her physical fitness business that 2LT Keppner began to consider a career in the military. Before joining the Washington Army National Guard, 2LT Keppner volunteered a portion of her professional time working with the Marine Corps. She worked as a fitness instructor preparing “poolees”– potential recruits who are fully signed up, but are awaiting being sent to boot camp for the grueling rigors of recruit training.
2LT Keppner said that she saw similarities between the military lifestyle and the way she wanted to live her own life. She saw that the military pushes people to be the best version of themselves and she wanted to be a part of that.
“Joining the military had been a long-time dream of mine, and I didn’t want to regret not joining,” 2LT Keppner said.
But with two young children at home and a business to run, she had a lot to consider when deciding to join. “I looked at the Marines, but I was too old for them. I considered the Air Force and the Navy, but I chose the Washington National Guard because it is flexible. I can live in Washington with my kids, run my business, [have] the option of a civilian career, and have a military career at the same [time].”
2LT Keppner enlisted in the Washington Army National Guard in December of 2013. Wanting to continue on her path of helping and encouraging others, soon after enlisting she chose to apply for Officer Candidate School (OCS).
“I chose the officer route because as an officer, I could have a large base of people that I can inspire and influence,” 2LT Keppner explained.
Ironically, 2LT Keppner now has the potential to become Washington’s first female infantry officer, which was not an initial goal for her.
In 2014, while in OCS, 2LT Keppner completed the Temecula Spartan Race, held in Temecula, Calif. She ran the race to support one of her Believe Achieve Fitness clients. While the race is typically held in January, that year it was held in September when temperatures exceeded 100 degrees. The race was overwhelming to many participants who were not prepared for the harsh temperatures.
“It was so hot that people started experiencing heat exhaustion and heat stroke. They didn’t have food, didn’t have water,” 2LT Keppner said.
For eight straight hours, 2LT Keppner treated racers by bringing them up and down the side of a mountain to safety, and to food and water. She posted about her experience on Facebook. The sergeant major of OCS read her post and reached out to her.
“He contacted me on Facebook and asked me if I wanted to go to Ranger School,” said 2LT Keppner. “He said that I demonstrated a lot of the qualities and abilities of what it takes to be a Ranger.”
When 2LT Keppner first enlisted, the DoD was still reviewing the initiative to open combat arms occupations to female service members. By this point, the DoD had come to a decision and had opened the occupations – which included infantry, special forces and Rangers – to women. 2LT Keppner set her sights on becoming a Ranger. Since an MOS is required before going to Ranger School, she left OCS to get an MOS as a Motor Transport Operator. Unfortunately, due to an unforeseen funding problem, 2LT Keppner was unable to attend the first class of female Ranger School candidates. However, never settling for defeat, she pushed on to the next promising opportunity.
2LT Keppner had missed that year’s deadline to apply for OCS, which meant she’d have to wait until the next year to re-apply. Wanting to keep her options open, she attended a career fair while waiting to re-enter OCS. At the fair, 2LT Keppner learned that female infantry officers were in high demand. One of the stipulations for lower enlisted women to integrate into combat arms, however, is that before they can start filling the infantry ranks, a qualified female Soldier with a rank of sergeant or above must be appointed to a leadership position.
“The Guard was standing up a new infantry battalion and needed [female] infantry officers,” 2LT Keppner said. She agreed to join, but said she negotiated a stipulation, saying, “As long as you send me to Ranger School.”
Once she completes the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course (IBOLC) this April at Fort Benning, Ga. 2LT Keppner will go on to the Ranger Training Assessment Course. Following that, she hopes to attend Ranger School, also at Fort Benning. After she completes IBOLC and is fully branch-qualified, 2LT Keppner will become Washington’s first female Infantry Officer, a potential honor that 2LT Keppner affirms she does not take lightly.
“It’s a large responsibility having people look to you to pave the way,” said 2LT Keppner. “Learning what it means to be an Infantry Officer comes first, as I will lead men into combat. I take it seriously. I know when I graduate, I will have people looking to me to get them ready for IBOLC and Ranger School. I am looking forward to helping others achieve their own goals and aspirations.”
2LT Keppner attributes her success in the Army National Guard, and in racing, to her focus and her ability to attack any challenge that is placed in front of her.
“Obstacle racing and the military have helped with always looking forward and [keeping a] vision of where I want to go,” 2LT Keppner said. “I attack my military career just like I attack a Spartan Race – I focus on the next immediate task, get past it, and then it’s on to the next one.”
By Staff Writer Tatyana White-Jenkins
