An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Medical group captain stays fit 'French' style

  • Published
  • By Shadi May
  • 92nd Public Affairs staff writer
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Living up to the Air Force's "Fit to Fight" motto is about more than being able to run the required 1.5-mile distance for one Fairchild Airman. It is about completing a marathon race in all 50 states.

At 30, Capt. Brigitte French, 92nd Medical Group Public Health Flight commander, has run marathons in 18 states and is planning her next 32.

"I just love running and feeling fit," said the Oregon native. "It makes me happy to see people working to be fit. If you have a fit body, it leads to a fit mind."

And fit is what Captain French has been since a very early age. At 8 years old, she started competitive swimming and continued it for 13 years. She received a swimming scholarship at the Colorado State University, where she also participated in triathlons for a few years.

"My master's degree is in veterinary sciences, and I wanted to put that to practice, and the Air Force offered me a great opportunity to work in public health," said Captain French. "You get to work with animals and human diseases. I chose to study animals because it's a constantly changing field.

"I felt they need a voice, and I wanted to protect them. It is about compassion. I also got lucky with this assignment, both for its location and all the people in my section, who do such a great work making my job really easy to do as a flight commander."

But more importantly, Captain French commissioned in the Air Force because she identified with its core values.

"I have been blessed in my life with many things, and I had an opportunity to give back, and serving in the Air Force is a great way to do that," said Captain French. "I also believe in all the core values, and being fit is a reflection of 'Excellence in all we do.' So while I don't hold anyone to my fitness standards, I encourage everyone to be fit, and that means if I can help in any way such as pacing my troop during a squadron PT, then, I will do that."

Although she can think of something positive about all the marathons in which she has participated, there is one city's marathon which she recalls as her favorite.

"The Houston Marathon was great," said Captain French. "Its organization and, most importantly, the crowd support were outstanding. They called you by name and were so inspirational. Also, their goody bag was the best of all. They definitely know how to do their races in Texas."

Despite her many professional responsibilities and demanding schedule, she remains committed to her marathon training. Depending on where she is in her program, she trains any where between five to 20 hours a week by running, using the elliptical trainer and the Stairmaster.

As for her diet, Captain French eats four to five times a day consuming mainly cereals, yogurt and protein shakes.

"It's all about exercise and controlling your portions, not restricting what you eat," said Captain French. "I eat a lot of bananas because they facilitate lactic acid removal from your muscles and help prevent soreness. I would also eat meat if someone else cooked it, but my favorite food before a long run is the MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) wheat snack bread with peanut butter."

Fitness runs in her family. Although her father, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, is not a runner, he is an avid jogger, and her sister is also a swimmer.

"My sister loves swimming, but she would only run if she is being chased," said Captain French. "And my dad is my inspiration. He would always be there for both me and my sister, taking us to all the practices."

After her second marathon, Captain French found out about 'The 50-states Marathon Club,' where a runner must run at least 10 marathons before joining and can earn a T-shirt after completion of each race.

"The T-shirt deal is really cool, but it's also great that most marathons are associated with a charity," said Captain French. "My favorite is the "Make a Wish Foundation" because it's a great way to give back to children. It is very important to me to be able to give back to the society, and I can do it practicing something I love at the same time."

While maintaining good timing is important to every runner, endurance is even more important for Captain French. Her running time has ranged from 3 hours and 29 minutes to 4 hours and 26 minutes.

"I wanted to do the Boston Marathon so I was concerned because you have to meet a certain time, 3 hours and 40 minutes or faster, in order to enter. So time is important, but it's also important to finish them," said the captain.

Her most challenging race was the Mount Rushmore Marathon. "The altitude was a factor there, and the entire course was hilly with the last 10 miles being all uphill on a trail, but it was beautiful."

Captain French does not plan to end her competitive running with the 50 states.

"There is 'The seven-continent club,' as well," said the captain. "I want to be running forever because it makes me happy, and it allows me to do a lot of problem solving, from the projects on which I work to thinking about what I will eat after my workouts."

While running is her passion and fitness her way of life, to her peers, Captain French suggests "Just put one foot in front of the other and go from there. It's a great start to a fit life."