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Chicago SWAT Member Races 15K in Gear, Saves Life, Then Proposes to Girlfriend
Runner's World ^ | November 9, 2019 | Andrew Dawson

Posted on 11/10/2019 8:35:29 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

When Sgt. Michael Nowacki of the Chicago Police SWAT Team had a day off this past weekend, he needed to find something to do. His longtime girlfriend, Officer Erin Gubala, was busy working the finish line of the Hot Chocolate 15K as part of Chicago Police’s bike patrol unit.

Nowacki, an avid runner since he joined the Army in 1990, decided he might as well run the race, and represent his department while doing so—by completing it in his SWAT gear. An experienced marathoner with 11 Chicago Marathons under his belt, a 15K wouldn’t be that bad.

The gear aspect, though, would be a little challenging. Nowacki, 46, had done a few 5Ks in it, but tripling that would be a decent jump.

But the pros for running outweighed the cons. He’d represent his department, run for the Make a Wish Foundation, which the race partners with, and challenge himself to run that far in his gear.

The biggest reason, though, was an opportunity to surprise Gubala.

“I told her that I’d see her at the finish line and we could hang out there,” Nowacki told Runner’s World. “I’ve wanted to ask her to marry me for quite a while, so I put the ring I had gotten her in my cargo pocket and planned to ask her at the finish.”

The race was difficult due to his gear. As the miles added up, he slowed down, and as he neared the finish line, he was relieved that his run was almost over and nervously excited to pop the question. He had thought about what he was going to say the entire race, and he felt ready.

Then, he saw a crowd formed about 150 yards from the finish.

(Excerpt) Read more at runnersworld.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Health/Medicine; Local News; Miscellaneous; Outdoors; Society; Sports
KEYWORDS: andshotherdog; chicago; chicagopd; cpr; feelgoodstory; hotchocolate15k; illinois; michaelnowacki; police; proposal; rescue; swat
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To: bakeneko

Phone Call Unit.

Nobody gets to CPD Swat unless they’ve previously agreed to be somebody’s bitch.

Would be nice if it were otherwise; but, fairy tales don’t exist in Chicago.

*****

Please explain what you mean here, as I’m not familiar with your terminology. Thanks


21 posted on 11/11/2019 6:27:20 AM PST by SheepWhisperer (it's all a game, it's a thought experiment, we're in the Matrix)
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To: lee martell

It was cold, that is a hoody she is wearing.


22 posted on 11/11/2019 7:04:19 AM PST by Robert DeLong
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