On any given day, you may see Rachel Hamrick running through the streets of Clarksville.
Hamrick, a veteran of the U.S. Army, a single mother of three, and a 7th grade teacher, has been running toward a goal that many can't imagine achieving.
"You have to just do it on your own," Hamrick explained. "There's no one who can make you do it."
Hamrick's goal has been to conquer the obstacles in front of her, even if they involve climbing ropes, pulling tires, and running, all in a quest to participate and win obstacle course races.
"This is something, besides what my career is and besides being a mom, this is something that I do for me," Hamrick said.
Hamrick played basketball for four years and ran cross country for two years in college. She's a veteran of the armed forces and has always been in shape, but in 2011 she blew out her knee and things started to go south.
"My weight go out of control. It was like nothing I could do would help. I was very depressed around that time," Hamrick recalled, adding that she even lost her job.
One thing Hamrick learned is that when you fall down, whether it be in life or while attempting to complete an obstacle, you have to get back up.
"No matter what obstacle, literally or figuratively, any obstacle can be overcome." Hamrick said.
In 2014, Hamrick completed her first obstacle course, a Tough Mudder, and in the past year, Hamrick has taken her training to another level, waking up every day at 4:15 a.m. for training, and doing a second workout after school, making sure her training doesn't interfere with her time with her daughters, or her teaching.
Hamrick has also lost more than 50 pounds in the past year, won competitions, and most recently, qualified for the Spartan World Championship in Lake Tahoe in October, inspiring everyone around her, including her children and her students at Rossview Middle School.
"I've had really shy students and then they're at the race on Saturday cheering me on." Hamrick said. "I mean, kids who'd never talk in class."
Hamrick said she has been planning to start a Spartan training program at Rossview so students from all backgrounds can work together, form a community, and encourage each other to overcome obstacles and improve their lives, just as Hamrick improved hers.
"If I didn't have all the support I have, there's no way I could have done this," Hamrick said. "No matter how competitive I am, there's just no way I could have done it all."
Hamrick set up a gofundme page in hopes that people who hear her story can help her reach the Spartan World Championship so she can continue to inspire and work toward her goal.
