Rhinelander natives complete ultramarathon, raise money for veterans

By Lauren Stephenson

Brett Foley and David Chrisinger running the Door County Fall 50

In August we told you about two men from Rhinelander who were training for a 50-mile ultramarathon.

Their goal was to raise money in support of returning veterans.

Their months of training finally paid off Saturday.

Brett Foley and David Chrisinger ran the Door County Fall 50.

They raised money for The Mission Continues.

It’s a non-profit that helps veterans transition back to civilian life.

Foley served multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For him, the transition back to normal life was difficult.

The run was a way for him and his friend, David, to help other veterans.

“The tough stretch I think for both of us was I think that 30 to 35-mile stretch where you know, you feel like 30 miles is this big accomplishment but you still have 20 more to go…It was a pretty emotional moment. It was really the culmination of a really long journey together,” said David Chrisinger

The two hoped to raise $10,000 for the non-profit.

They’ve raised $5,800.

Their fundraising page will be open to donations through Veterans Day.

“There were people out there who donated $10, $25 to this cause that they won’t directly benefit from, and so we took a lot of pride in the fact that you know our telling Brett’s story touched people,” added Chrisinger.

The experience has also opened up new opportunities for Foley and Chrisinger.

Foley will be the keynote speaker at a Veterans Day event at James Williams Middle School in Rhinelander.

The two are also in talks with UW-Stevens Point to create a class for veterans to tell their stories.