As we prepare for the San Francisco Marathon, we are honored to introduce three women from our Gold Star Race Program (GSRP) who are gearing up to conquer the full marathon.
Samantha (Sam) Barnes of Hopkinsville, KY
Wife of Army CW2 Shane Barnes
Avid runner: ½ Marathons, Marathons & 50K
Meet Sam
“He was a natural born leader who always put his guys first and strived to bring people together.” Sam is the wife of CW2 Shane Barnes who was killed during the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash over the Mediterranean Sea on November 10, 2023. Sam served in the United States Army and met Shane while they were in flight school together. She is the mother of two little girls and running is a passion that started when she and Shane met and has continued to be her healthy outlet for her grief. Sam is looking forward to building a community around her passion of running and ready to run for a purpose to honor and remember her husband.
Meet Michelle
“As Jacob’s mother, I want to continue his dedication to running and apply it to my own life.” Michelle is the mother of CPL Jacob Moore who passed away on March 19, 2022 while aboard the MV-22 Osprey during a NATO training exercise in Norway. Jacob is described as a very humble and kind man with a contagious smile. He is also known for the best bear hugs and bringing joy to those close to him. Jacob is the reason Michelle started running with our wear blue community in Kentucky and will continue to run for her son. Michelle is looking forward to running through the wear blue Tribute Mile as she honors her son and forever hero along with all of the fallen service members.
Michelle Moore of Catlettburg, KY
Mother of Marine CPL Jacob Moore
First Marathon
Rachel Maloney of Cameron, NC
Wife of Army MSG David Renjifo
First Marathon
Meet Rachel
“He fought until the end, which is how David lived his life.” Rachel is the wife of MSG David Ranjifo who passed away due to a glioblastoma on August 23, 2019. David loved running, sports, and his family. Rachel and David started running together despite Rachel’s hatred of running and she now continues to run today because of him. Running became their thing and she is motivated to do something they both loved. Rachel shared that as she watched her husband took his last breath it allowed her to appreciate life, however short it may be. Rachel is a Master Sergeant in the Army, she was recently selected for the Sergeants Major Academy and is a mother to their daughter and son. She is ready to push herself and embrace personal growth as she runs to honor the life of her husband.
1 Week to Go
Our athletes are just one week away from boarding their flights and hitting the pavement in San Francisco. We extend a special thank you to our sponsors, Fisher House and Alaska Airlines. We're deeply grateful for your generosity and for being an instrumental part of our community. Thank you for standing with wear blue: run to remember and our families of the fallen.
Continue following along our athlete’s journey to the start line. Next week we will introduce surviving daughters, Kayla Martin and Sydnie Lubbers.
Read Embracing the Journey: Gold Star Race Program and meet the rest of the 2024 San Francisco cohort HERE.