Coast Guardsman Racing For Fallen Heroes
“I have been running my whole life, I have also been challenging myself to see how far I can push my mind and body as long as I can remember,” says Lieutenant Duane T. Zitta, Command Duty Officer for the 14th Coast Guard District in Hawaii. “It keeps me young and keeps me balanced.”
LT Zitta is a 15-year veteran of the Coast Guard and throughout his career he has displayed his athletic talents representing the service around the country in ultra-marathons, ultra-long distance swims, and ultra-triathlons finishing on numerous podiums as well as being selected as the 2017 Coast Guard Male Elite Athlete of The Year Runner Up.
This year, LT Zitta is competing in 15 ultra-endurance events around Hawaii - with more scheduled to be confirmed soon - including the Honolulu Marathon, KONA Ironman, and Tinman Olympic Triathlon to raise money for the Coast Guard Foundation’s Fallen Heroes Fund.
“I have been involved with the Coast Guard Foundation specifically supporting the Fallen Heroes Fund ever since the string of terrible aviation accidents that plagued us in the mid-2000s,” said LT Zitta. “I was a member of the aviation community and lost some good friends, when I saw how broken and shattered these tragic events left their families I injected myself into the Coast Guard Foundation Run to Remember movement.”
Donate to LT Zitta's fundraising goal: coastguardfoundation.org/racesforheroes
The Coast Guard Foundation’s Run to Remember events raise money for the Fallen Heroes Fund, providing emergency assistance to the families, friends, and shipmates of those Coast Guard heroes who die in the line of duty. The fund also supports the ongoing needs of these families, including the cost of college for their children.
Attending and organizing Run to Remember events are some his most memorable Coast Guard experiences with the opportunity to speak with, and recognize families for their sacrifice. “I have ran with the children of the fallen in these events, and heard the stories of what being able to attend college paid for by the Fallen Heroes Fund meant - that is now my motivation.”
To contribute to LT Zitta’s fundraising goal visit: coastguardfoundation.org/racesforheroes
