GORUCK Cofounder and CEO Jason J. McCarthy shared a story about meeting Mike Vallely 15 years ago and how their friendship eventually led to Vallely joining the company as Chief Brand Officer.
McCarthy said the two first met in a parking lot in Las Vegas.
At the time, he did not know much about Mike V and mostly noticed that his GR1 was loaded with bricks, much like the other people taking part.
Their first meeting was far from a casual introduction.
The group spent hours at a park doing bear crawls, crab walks and other demanding exercises while families enjoyed the area nearby.
McCarthy recalled that some kids watched the group and asked why they were doing all of it.
The unusual scene eventually became something both men could laugh about.
McCarthy said that after those first 14 hours, he and Mike V had a chance to get an honest look at each other.
Fifteen years later, their friendship has continued through countless rucks and trips around the world.
McCarthy also recalled sharing a beer with Vallely in Normandy after completing a 50 Miler.
Now Mike V is officially joining GORUCK as Chief Brand Officer.
McCarthy described the new role as welcoming Mike V home. He also explained that the company sees its brand as being about people coming together, challenging themselves and finding the best parts of the human experience.
Rucking has been part of Mike V's life since 2011.
His new position brings together that long standing passion with his connection to GORUCK and McCarthy.
McCarthy Posted:
"I met Mike V 15 years ago in a parking lot in Las Vegas. I didn’t really know who he was, and I didn’t really care. His GR1 was stuffed with bricks like everyone else’s and I knew he was coming back from some kind of injury, but weren’t we all — those of us lucky enough to still be alive, anyway.
We did not hit it off immediately. We were at a nice park with a nice pond and a nice trail around it. It was very civilized, probably too nice for guys like us. Our first three hours were full of bear crawls and crab walks and so many animals you’d swear we were at the zoo. There was a lot of shock and a lot of disbelief, but at least we were in it together, on our terms. Civilized families were having picnic dinners and laughing with joy as the sun was finally going down and Mike V and his class were probably the first humans to join the ducks and all their duck shit in that nice pond. Some kids gathered around to watch and they laughed and pointed and asked perfectly sane questions of the insane, such as why are you doing this?
I just smiled back, and the class erupted in laughter, and for the next fourteen hours we had the universe to ourselves. Mike V and I got to have an honest look at each other, and 15 years later very little has changed. Cold beers taste better in Normandy after a 50 Miler, and we’ve still got rucks on our backs, chasing sunrises together all over the world.
To welcome Mike V to GORUCK as our Chief Brand Officer is like welcoming him home. The “brand” of GORUCK is a pretty simple thing. We want to be where the human spirit burns brightest, and keep doing that for all the days of our lives, and we hope you’ll join us."