PITTSBURG -- Paul Borsuk and Chris Malasig have been friends since attending Hillview Junior High School in Pittsburg. Both are veterans, Borsuk deployed twice to Afghanistan and Malasig serving two deployments in Iraq. Both men understand that the transition from military to civilian life is not always an easy road and have opted to do something meaningful to bring attention to this.
They have set themselves a challenge, running cross-country from Monterey to Tybee Island, Ga. The challenge is both a personal one and one to benefit other veterans. They're asking the community's support for the Wounded Warrior Project.
"The first thing that we want to do is help our fellow veterans," Borsuk said. "Some of our Wounded Warriors need a little extra assistance and the Wounded Warrior Project has experts who can give these veterans the assistance they desperately need."
The duo is dividing the efforts with Borsuk running nearly a marathon each day while Malasig acts as his support, with logistics and navigational support. In this way they hope to complete the 2,820-mile route begun Feb. 8 by the end of June.
Borsuk has wanted to run across the United States since college and decided this would be a good time, before starting a new career and beginning his transition out of the military. He's currently finishing up a master's in business accounting and completes schoolwork every night after his seven- to eight-hour run. The logistics of trip, including food, gas, and lodging, is coming entirely out of his personal funds.
Malasig received a business degree after returned from Iraq as a Wounded Warrior and is on disability due to health issues incurred on deployment. He understands firsthand the problems veterans face and the importance of providing them with assistance.
Each day of the trip is a challenge for Borsuk and Malasig, but in different ways.
"This trip is, for me, I kind of want to prove to myself that I can do this," Malasig said. "I've been in a lot of pain, trying to deal with that, and find medications that help."
"For me the challenge is running in different environments and worrying about the surroundings; I have to watch out for traffic and for loose animals," Borsuk added. "Every day is a new experience because you don't really know what you're going to get until you do it."
The route led them south to Bakersfield, east to the Mojave Desert and into Arizona and New Mexico. Borsuk has run in all types of weather, fighting strong headwinds and through icy rain. By mid-April, and dealing with some running-related injuries, he'd completed more than 1,200 miles.
"Now we're about 40 percent done, so it's motivating that we're almost halfway done. We're almost through New Mexico and our last big state is going to be Texas," Borsuk said. "Once we're done with Texas, we'll have a flatter landscape." During the past two months, the day-by-day routine of supporting Borsuk has proved helpful to Malasig, reducing his stress and his pain.
"In contrast to how productive I was and the amount of pain I was in, now I'm doing a lot more and I'm also feeling a lot better," Malasig said. "There are less things to worry about and less stress during the day.
The two men support each other and want to extend this concept onto the Wounded warrior Project. Their goal is to collect $5,000.
"I think what we're trying to get out is that it's very important for Wounded Warrior to be supported; it a great job in supporting vets and we just wish to have people help them in doing this," Borsuk said. "It's really important for all these veterans to have a lot of compassion going into inactive service and to have a fulfilled life."
Malasig also has an important transition message to veterans who return with health problems.
"They're civilians now, they're not in the military anymore so they don't have to suck it up anymore or tough it out as the military would have you do," he said. "You can get care from veteran services and the Wounded Warrior Project. There are a lot of those places willing to help."
By late June both men will be looking out for a tall light tower signally Tybee Island and the Atlantic Ocean, the finish of their ocean-to-ocean journey. Both hope the community keep in touch and leave comments on their blog, as well as giving support to the Wounded Warrior Project.
"I think it would motivate to know that the people back home, besides our families, are supporting us," Borsuk said.
Borsuk-Malasig transcontinental run blog: www.coasttocoastrun.wordpress.com.
All donated funds go directly to the Wounded Warrior Project, as charitable contributions. Go to the "Donate to WWP" menu option on the top right of the blog.