Army Captain Sarah Cudd showed the world what “never quitting” looks like in a viral video of her crossing the finishing line after a grueling race.
The video showed Cudd struggling to finish the final 50 feet of a brutal 12-mile run while being cheered on by her fellow soldiers.
The 12-Mile Foot March is the last in a line of rigorous tests that soldiers who want to earn their Expert Field Medical Badge have to pass.
The trek had to be finished in three hours while carrying a 35 lb. rucksack and a 5 lb. weapon.
Capt. Sarah Cudd pictures http://t.co/sVpNh1s442 pic.twitter.com/CWyBsci95W
— infowe (@infowe) May 6, 2015
The EFMB is only awarded to those who have attained a high degree of professional skill and proficiency as a field medic.
And Cudd, who works as a veterinarian, has shown that she definitely deserves the badge.
In the video, Cudd could be seen physically struggling to reach the finish line and even looked like she wouldn’t be able to get up the second time she fell down.
But with her fellow soldiers surrounding her yelling encouragements, she then used the butt of her weapon to get up.
“When I fell the second time and could look up and see the finish line, that was really good motivation to get up,” the 29-year-old captain told ABC News.
Cudd crossed the finish line with 14 minutes to spare.
EFMB Program Manager Lloyd A. Manson of the US Army posted the video and Capt.Cudd’s achievement on his Facebook page.
He wrote “this EFMB candidate wanted it, and she got it. It took heart, guts, determination, falling down and getting up, and a little motivation from the crowd to get across the finish line.”
But Cudd, who said she “was about five feet from failure” at the end of the march, is just grateful to earn the badge and serve her country.
The captain is one of the 46 out of 239 candidates who earned the badge last April 27, 2015.