11-Year-Old Leads PTSD Awareness with Daily Run

Running for a Cause - PTSD Awareness by a Young Hero

At just 11 years old, Guy Kroll is dedicating his May to running 2.2 miles daily in memory of his late uncle, Ben Kroll, a military veteran who passed away in 2023 after a long battle with PTSD.

“My uncle did this, and I wanted to do it,” Kroll said. “My uncle, he would do 2.2 miles every day of May, wearing a backpack with the weight of what they would carry in war. And each day, he would run in a different place. He fought and lost his battle with PTSD, one he was battling for 17 years.”

Guy began this tribute in May 2024, aligning with National Military Appreciation Month. His mother, Samantha Horn, who works with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, shared that Ben enlisted in the military on his 17th birthday in 2003 and served until 2007, including two years in Afghanistan.

PTSD affects millions in the U.S., often following traumatic events like war. According to the VA, about 12 million Americans live with PTSD.

A 2012 VA report estimated that 22 veterans died by suicide daily in 2010. The 2024 report shows that number has decreased to 17.6 per day in 2022.

To raise awareness, Guy encourages others to join him by running 2.2 miles, doing 22 pushups or pull-ups, and sharing their efforts online using hashtags like #bensheart22 or #BH22.

His mother said this initiative is part of Guy’s 4-H healthy living project, which now includes discussions about mental health. “When his uncle lost his battle, it affected his whole family,” Horn said.

“I think at 11, we still try to protect Guy from some things, but this was very real for him. It was an eye-opener, and we’ve been talking with him about how healthy living is not just exercising and going to baseball practice and doing his gardening. There are also mental health components that we are now talking about and sharing with him that are age appropriate.”

Guy also attends support meetings hosted by his grandmother at Life House Church in Texarkana for families affected by PTSD. “For veterans with PTSD and families who have had people who have lost their battles, they can just come and all talk about it. It’s so they have an outlet,” Kroll said.

“Even a kid can be an influence and make a difference,” Guy said. “I want to raise awareness about this, so other people don’t end up like him.”