When Kim Pawelek Brantly was one year old, her family boarded a plane at the Saigon airport to escape the troubles of the Vietnam War.
Shortly after their takeoff, further evacuation came to a halt due to the Bombing of Tan Son Nhut Air Base.
[1][2] Kim Pawelek Brantly began running long distance during her senior year at Port Charlotte High School.
Originally a sprint runner, Pawelek began long distance running to train for soccer.
[5] Pawelek went on after college to continue training for and running marathons, with many wins and finishes within the top 10 racers.