Rosabel Unscripted Podcast | Featuring Aaron Burros
PTSD can derail lives—but it can also become a platform for purpose. In this episode of Rosabel Unscripted, Aaron Burros opens up about being shot five times and running 50 marathons in 50 states as a way to heal. Known as The Running Servant, Aaron shares how trauma, faith, and fierce advocacy intersected to transform his pain into power. His story is a testament to resilience, mental health awareness, and the unwavering strength found through faith and community.
1. PTSD and the Power of Self-Advocacy
“Become the CEO of your own mental health,” Aaron says. He had to fight to be seen, assessed, and taken seriously. He sent scientific research to doctors and insurance companies to validate that treatments like running and massage therapy supported his recovery. If you’re struggling, be persistent. Aaron's message is clear: healing requires proactive involvement, not passive hope.
2. The Physical and Spiritual Effects of PTSD
His symptoms showed up physically—through disrupted neural pathways and chronic pain. They appeared emotionally—in hallucinations and severe crying spells. But Aaron also found healing through prayer, community, and his church family. Body, mind, and spirit all needed tending. For more on body-based trauma responses, explore The Body Keeps the Score.
3. PTSD and the Need for Community Support
Aaron built a team: therapists, prayer partners, physical trainers, and pastors. “The more weight you carry,” he says, “the wider your base has to be.” Emotional wounds isolate us—but healing happens in community. Internal battles need external support. (Need help? Explore this article on building emotional resilience.)
4. Running as Therapy: How Exercise Supports PTSD Healing
He went from 394 pounds to marathon champion—but the real weight he dropped was emotional. Aaron ran through anxiety, depression, and grief. He emphasizes, “Running is therapeutic, not therapy.” For many dealing with trauma, movement—whether yoga, dance, or walking—is an outlet that unlocks healing at a somatic level.
Running helped Aaron reconnect with his body. The steady rhythm of his breath and footsteps became a form of prayer and meditation. Though physical pain from his injuries remained, the emotional breakthroughs far outweighed the setbacks.
5. How Faith Anchored His PTSD Recovery
Through sleepless nights and suicidal thoughts, Aaron clung to Christ. “It’s not a what, but a who,” he told his doctors. “My hope is in Jesus.” That faith served as his anchor. Belief didn’t erase the suffering—but it gave him the strength to confront it. Whether praying with elders or reading scripture, Aaron leaned into God’s promises when everything else collapsed.
6. Retraining the Mind After PTSD
“Your pain has trained you,” Aaron says. “But you must retrain yourself to break the cycle.” It shapes responses—fight, flight, freeze. Aaron’s story encourages reflection and re-education. Without intentionally confronting the roots of suffering—guilt, fear, grief—we risk repeating emotional loops. His memoir, Medal Monday, explores this retraining process in depth.
7. Turning PTSD into Purpose: A Movement is Born
Aaron didn’t just survive a shooting—he launched a mission. From CNN coverage to speaking engagements and hugs from strangers, he became a voice for others dealing with trauma. “I’ve cried with more grown men than I ever imagined,” he reflects. His story now serves as a safe harbor for others navigating similar storms.
More Than Marathons—A Legacy of Healing Through PTSD
When Aaron committed to 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 weeks, it wasn’t about the medals. It was about meaning. That commitment helped raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and reframe his experience as part of a bigger calling. It reminded him—and us—that healing is not a race but a deeply personal and sacred process.
About Medal Monday
Medal Monday: My Quest to Run 50 Marathons in 50 States in 50 Weeks 5 Years After Being Shot 5 times is more than a memoir—it's a raw, inspiring account of perseverance. You will read how Aaron overcomes the challenges of:
- A severely weakened right glute muscle,
- PTSD that is triggered in several ways,
- The continual grind of running a marathon a week,
- Canceled airlines flights,
- Hotel hassles,
- Reaching remote locations,
- Cancelled races,
- Revising his racing schedule weekly,
- Several family tragedies while
- Encouraging and helping everyone God put in his path.
***AUTOGRAPHED COPIES***
$30+ minimum donation (Include US Shipping Address and Event)
- PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/RUNandSERVE
- CashApp: https://cash.app/$runningservant
- Venmo: https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3886028762908469825
Available on Amazon and Kindle:
https://a.co/d/jaGXgwb
Get Connected with Aaron Burros
Follow Aaron on Instagram and Facebook at @therunningservant, or email him directly at aaronburros@yahoo.com for signed books and speaking engagements. His mission is ongoing, and he continues to encourage those affected by adversity through faith, fitness, and storytelling.
Additional Support Resources for PTSD
Serious experiences may leave invisible scars. But like Aaron Burros, we can learn that the most broken places can become the most beautiful when we let them heal. His testimony reminds us that while trauma can alter a person, it doesn’t have to define them.
No comments:
Post a Comment