The Grueling Physical Test
Cudd and the rest of the soldiers in her crew needed to pass this challenge in order to earn the Expert Field Medical Badge. This award is given to military personnel who are able to endure both physical and written challenges, and it is no easy feat to do.

The Grueling Physical Test
Down for the Count
Cudd was well aware of the fact that this was a tough endeavor. With a pass rate of just 17%, most people don’t actually pass it. Perhaps it was this fact that crossed her mind when she fell down to the ground during the challenge.

Down For The Count
Pushed to the Max
She had already accomplished so much and gotten so far in the course, so was this the challenge that would break her? It was one of the last before the end of the course, and of course the 12 mile Foot March was one of the most difficult portions of the entire program.

Pushed To The Max
Harsh Rules
So what does the 12 mile march actually look like? First of all, all of the participants must carry backpacks full of heavy equipment on their backs while also holding their rifles and walk for 12 miles straight. They have to finished the whole march in less than three hours in order to qualify for the badge.

Harsh Rules
Getting Noticed
Sarah’s attempt to accomplish the march was in 2015, when she was a part of a group made up of 239 participants. That’s a large group, and though it was meant to be a typical experience of the program, this particular one stood out and helped her become an online marvel.

Getting Noticed
Captured on Camera
The final portion of the 12 mile march she participated in was filmed and eventually uploaded online, capturing the attention of many people all over. Her army colleague, Captain Lloyd Mason, was the one who captured the footage and shared it with the world.

Captured On Camera
Spread Like Wildfire
After he took the video, Captain Mason shared it on his Facebook page, where it quickly took off and began circulating. He was shocked to see that eventually the video was shared over 20,000 times. It was also uploaded on YouTube, where it garnered over a million views.

Spread Like Wildfire
Nothing Left
In the video he posted, you can see Cudd inching towards the finish line, wearing the heavy backpack and rifle in hand. However, you see her knees giving way, causing her to fall onto the ground. She looks completely exhausted and doesn’t seem to be able to keep going.

Nothing Left
Ounce of Hope
Not wanting to give up, Cudd fights to get up on her feet once again. She starts taking a few more steps, but soon after, she collapses yet again. Despite her determination, it looked like she was not going to make it to the end this time.

Ounce Of Hope
Utterly Defeated
Lying on the ground completely defeated and exhausted and with her backpack on her, Sarah seemed unable to move. However, at that very moment, her friends and colleagues decided to do something amazing.

Utterly Defeated
Get Up
The soldiers grouped around her and started to shout encouraging words to her, including: “Get up!” and “You’ve got it ma’am!” This helped motivate her and she used her rifle as support in order to get back onto her feet.

Get Up
Shouts Continue
Even though she looks quite unsteady, she is able to get up and start walking again, getting closer to the finish line that’s only a mere few feet away. Her friends continue shouting support at her, and some of them even walk alongside her as she fights her way through.

Shouts Continue
Past the Line
She was fully determined to finish, and with incredible support from those around her, she was able to do it. She almost gave up, but it would have been such a shame since she was so close to the finish line. After she passed the finish line, her friends jumped up and down and screamed with joy.

Past The Line
One of 14
In the end, Cudd crossed over the finish line at the 2 hour 47 minute mark, which meant that she was one of the 46 people who earned the Expert Field Medical Badge that day. Even more amazingly, she was one of just 14 women who completed the march in under 3 hours that day.

One Of 14
Sigh of Relief
In an interview with ABC, Cudd shared that she felt relief only when she was done. She was so grateful to those who encouraged her and supported her in order to finish. It was clear that they gave her the final push to make it happen.

Sigh Of Relief
True Hero
A lot of people cited her accomplishment as a huge inspiration, like the Public Health Command of the US Army who shared the video of Cudd’s determination to finish. The caption read: “Cudd shows us what not quitting looks like.”

True Hero
Just 5 Feet from Failure
Getting so much attention was very humbling for Cudd, as she told ABC. However, her impact was truly inspiring that day. She said herself that even though she was just 5 feet from failure, with support from her colleagues, she was able to overcome it.

Just 5 Feet From Failure
Below the Surface
In an interview with Fox News in 2015, Cudd shared what went through her head that day. She said that in addition to her colleagues’ support, she thought about her friends and husband cheering her on and going home to see them after she was done. This all helped push her forward to finish.

Below The Surface
Double Life
Another servicewoman named Shannon Ihrke hoped that her squad would be as supportive of her as Cudd’s were. During Ihrke’s service, she had a secret. She was leading a double life, and she was worried what would happen if the truth was revealed about this Marine Corps Segeant.

Double Life
On the Edge
Ihrke enlisted while she was just 19 years old. When she was in college, she was faced with a tough financial situation, and she looked into options in order to pay for her education. This is why she ended up deciding to join the military, and more specifically, the Marines.

On The Edge
Added Bonus
By joining the Marine Corps, she figured she would be able to see different parts of the world while also serving her country. She was sent to Afghanistan, and while conditions were certainly not ideal there, she shared that it was a good experience for her and she felt it was the best decision she ever made.

Added Bonus
Climbing the Ranks
After joining, Shannon slowly began climbing the ranks. She started out as an administrative assistant which had her handling correspondence, travel orders, and checking on punishment books. However, she knew that she didn’t want this position forever.

Climbing The Ranks
Battling Stigma
She didn’t want to remain an administrative assistant forever, so she worked hard in order to be promoted. Eventually she became a Sergeant. Unfortunately, she also began to face stigma and discrimination for being a female marine. However, she didn’t let this bring her down or ruin her experience.

Battling Stigma
The Second Secret Job
Speaking with the Military Times, Ihrke admitted that it was tough at time to be a female marine, but she wouldn’t let anything hold her back from doing her best and seeing just how much she is capable of accomplishing. With this attitude of working hard, she began a second job as well.

The Second Secret Job
Hiding the Truth
She kept her secret to herself for years, but in 2019, Ihrke opened up in an interview with Inside Edition. She said that growing up in a small town, she thought she was a boy until she was 10 years old. Despite this, she never had military aspirations until many years later.

Hiding The Truth
Out of High School
After finishing high school, she had no idea what she wanted to do. She thought about college, which seemed like the most obvious next step. However, she didn’t have a plan for after that. What she did know was that she was tired of juggling two jobs along with school.
Shannon didn’t know what she wanted to do after graduating from high school. College seemed like the most obvious step, but there was no determination or plan for her life afterward. However, she knew she was tired of going to school and working two jobs.

Out Of High School
Financial Aid
When she spoke to her college advisor to learn more about financial aid, she was told that she could receive free tuition in Minnesota only if she was a single mother or if she was a member of the military. After she learned this information, she became quite upset and above all, confused.

Financial Aid
Disbelief
Once she gathered her thoughts, she started to research the different branches of the military. She spoke to recruiters from the Air Force, and on the way out, a Marine Corps recruiter stopped her. She hadn’t considered joining the Marines, but the man thought she didn’t have what it took anyway.

Disbelief
Challenge Accepted
Telling her that the program was difficult and that she probably wouldn’t be able to make it through bootcamp lit a fire inside of her. His discouragement made her want to do it even more, and she chose to enlist at that very moment.

Challenge Accepted
Worry and Fear
Afterwards, she began to second guess her decision. When she was already on the plane heading to bootcamp, she couldn’t help but think to herself: “what have I done?” She realized that this organization was not likely to be the most female-friendly.

Worry And Fear
The Man’s World
Although she had been athletic throughout her life, she kept hearing that the Marine Corps is a man’s world. She let this kind of talk get to her, and she started to feel judged and self-conscious from the start. She felt like she was being targeted.

The Man’s World
Twice as Hard
However, she quickly decided to pull it together and shake off other people’s doubts. She realized that she had to work twice as hard as everyone else in order to be seen as an equal. She decided to push herself and prove that she did belong there. Luckily, there were other women around to help support her too.

Twice As Hard
Complete Inspiration
She had female drill instructors that helped inspire and motivate her. She also found mentors that helped her succeed, despite the environment feeling like such a boy’s club. She pushed herself to the max.

Complete Inspiration
The Unexpected Promotion
She never stopped working hard, and after two years of being in the military, she was promoted. She was promoted from the E1 rank to E4, which can take up to four years to accomplish.

The Unexpected Promotion
Hit the Target
She really enjoyed shooting guns at targets, which is what helped her move up the rankings. Shannon had been practicing shooting guns with her dad since she was young, but she never expected that this would end up helping her in the Marines years later.

Hit The Target
Honorably Discharged
While a lot of people judge others but appearances, sometimes you can use that as motivation to work harder and prove that you actually can keep up. This is what helped push Shannon to work hard. However, in 2012, she was honorably discharged.

Honorably Discharged
Exploring New Paths
After leaving the Marines, she decided to pursue other interests and began studying science at Elmhurst College. However, this was not the only thing that she decided to pursue. An opportunity came up while she was nearing the end of her time in the military, and she decided to go for it.

Exploring New Paths
Modeling Debut
Before she left the Marines, Shannon visited friends in Chicago. One of her friends was hosting a fashion show, and she asked Shannon to participate by walking the runway. This introduced her to the fashion world as well as photographers from all over.

Modeling Debut
Horse Trainer
Even though she enjoyed many years of modeling, she eventually decided to go back to her roots and become a horse trainer. She trains children to ride, and she currently has six horses competing in roping contests and she also started a horse posse.

Horse Trainer
Motherhood
She spent so many years working with kids that she felt ready to become a mother. Her daughter Aryana River was born in October 2019. She found out she was expecting a second child in June 2020.

Motherhood