Natalie Markham

Dex has this way of like, she calls it gassing you up, of like being your biggest cheerleader. And so she'll be like, man, look at those guns, Natalie.

Dex has this way of like, she calls it gassing you up, of like being your biggest cheerleader. And so she'll be like, man, look at those guns, Natalie.

The three of us are lined up, and being female and in the military, like, do you stand tough? Do you stand feminine? And then, you know, we're in a strength retreat, so we should take one that looks kind of cute, but then we should take one that looks kind of tough and so will flex. And Dex is always one to be like, oh, we have to flex.

The three of us are lined up, and being female and in the military, like, do you stand tough? Do you stand feminine? And then, you know, we're in a strength retreat, so we should take one that looks kind of cute, but then we should take one that looks kind of tough and so will flex. And Dex is always one to be like, oh, we have to flex.

There was one workout every hour on the hour for eight hours. Just the grueling nature of eight hours worth of workouts is enough to make most people go, yeah, no, I'm not doing that.

There was one workout every hour on the hour for eight hours. Just the grueling nature of eight hours worth of workouts is enough to make most people go, yeah, no, I'm not doing that.

All four of us are sitting on the floor together, and Sarah says that she's going to have to have her leg amputated. And I was blown away. Like, you are in the middle of doing an eight-hour workout, and you have to have your leg amputated?

All four of us are sitting on the floor together, and Sarah says that she's going to have to have her leg amputated. And I was blown away. Like, you are in the middle of doing an eight-hour workout, and you have to have your leg amputated?

It was absolutely unfathomable to me, but I distinctly remember her saying, if I'm going to have to have my leg amputated, then I'm going to make this bitch give me every last ounce of what it's got to give.

It was absolutely unfathomable to me, but I distinctly remember her saying, if I'm going to have to have my leg amputated, then I'm going to make this bitch give me every last ounce of what it's got to give.

And she thinks to herself, You are like a whole other level of badassery than I have ever known.

And she thinks to herself, You are like a whole other level of badassery than I have ever known.

We did one workout where Sarah was having a really hard time. And at the end of the workout, her leg was shaking so badly. And she's like, Natalie, will you please help me? Can you please help me stretch?

We did one workout where Sarah was having a really hard time. And at the end of the workout, her leg was shaking so badly. And she's like, Natalie, will you please help me? Can you please help me stretch?

I took her shaking leg and placed it up on my shoulder and am, you know, holding her quad in one hand and her foot up here and kind of leaning in and I'm talking her through, like, breathe into the muscle, like, take some breaths, exhale slowly, picture your leg relaxing and just...

I took her shaking leg and placed it up on my shoulder and am, you know, holding her quad in one hand and her foot up here and kind of leaning in and I'm talking her through, like, breathe into the muscle, like, take some breaths, exhale slowly, picture your leg relaxing and just...

remember her like like having this moment of her leg finally relaxing and this is the leg that she's supposed to have amputated in feeling some some sense of gratitude that i could help somebody in that situation to have some kind of relief

remember her like like having this moment of her leg finally relaxing and this is the leg that she's supposed to have amputated in feeling some some sense of gratitude that i could help somebody in that situation to have some kind of relief

And I'm so genuinely worried about her that in the middle of the night, I wake up and the first thing I think of is, I must be waking up because I've got to pray for Sarah. I should text her and let her know that I'm praying. And so I text out my prayer to her and send it to her.

And I'm so genuinely worried about her that in the middle of the night, I wake up and the first thing I think of is, I must be waking up because I've got to pray for Sarah. I should text her and let her know that I'm praying. And so I text out my prayer to her and send it to her.