This Was Supposed to Be a Fitness Test. It Turned Into Something Else.

How a group of USU enlisted-to-physician students refused to leave anyone behind during one of the military's toughest endurance tests.

May 26, 2026 by Sharon Holland

A small group of students from the Uniformed Services University's (USU) Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2) quietly demonstrated something far more meaningful than physical endurance.

When the call went out for participants in the inaugural Norwegian Foot March at Naval Support Activity Bethesda-a demanding 18.6-mile ruck with a 25-pound pack-ten students from EMDP2 Cohorts 11 and 12 stepped forward. What followed over the next two months was less about preparing for a single event and more about building something that defines the program itself: trust, shared purpose, and a commitment to lifting each other up.

Training for the march became a daily rhythm woven into already demanding academic schedules. In the early mornings across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area, small groups of EMDP2 students could be seen moving together through neighborhoods and trails, rucks on their backs, setting pace and learning as a team. Experience levels varied widely, but that became part of the strength of the group.

Those with deep rucking backgrounds-particularly from the Army and Marine Corps-stepped naturally into mentorship roles, teaching others how to pack, strap, and carry their loads efficiently. What might have been a point of friction instead became a point of connection, with good-natured humor and shared learning bridging service cultures.

By the time the group arrived at the starting line, they were no longer just individuals attempting a difficult physical challenge-they were a cohesive team.

And that cohesion showed.

As the miles wore on and the physical strain set in, the defining moments of the day had little to do with time standards or lap counts. Instead, they came in the form of quiet leadership and mutual support. When fatigue began to slow some participants, others adjusted their pace without hesitation. Encouragement was constant. No one was left to struggle alone.

U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Andrew Guthart, a veteran of the Norwegian Foot March, embodied that spirit. Rather than pushing solely for his own performance, he repeatedly dropped back to rally those hitting difficult stretches, setting the tone for the group and reinforcing a simple principle: forward progress matters more when it's shared.

That same mindset was evident in the determination of Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Zeltzin Soto and Sgt Tanya Petrikina, who set a goal early in training not only to complete the march, but to meet the more demanding men's standard. They approached the challenge with discipline and consistency, maintaining the pace they had built over weeks of preparation and finishing well ahead of the required time.

By the end of the event, every EMDP2 participant crossed the finish line within their respective standards, earning the Norwegian Foot March badge. But the real outcome wasn't the badge itself.

It was what the experience revealed.

These are individuals who have already served in demanding operational roles across the military. They are accustomed to hardship, responsibility, and high expectations. Yet what stood out most during this challenge was not individual toughness, but collective resilience-the instinct to support, teach, and push one another forward.

That instinct is not incidental. It is foundational to who they are becoming.

As future military physicians, they will be called upon to lead in high-stakes, high-pressure environments where teamwork, trust, and empathy are just as critical as clinical skill. The same qualities that carried them through early morning training sessions and the final miles of the march are the ones that will define them in hospitals, clinics, and deployed settings.

The Norwegian Foot March may have been the catalyst, but it was never the point.

The point was the team-and the kind of leaders they are already proving themselves to be.

EMDP2 participants who earned the Norwegian Foot March badge:

Cohort 11

• Brian Park (USMC)
• Renzo Adaya (USN)
• Andrew Guthart (USMC)
• Shelby Decker (USN)
• Murray Ladner (USA)
• Ken Bae (USA)
• Richard Hollenback (USAF)
• Zeltzin Soto (USN)
• Tanya Petrikina (USA)

Cohort 12

• Chayoung Kim (USA)