A new veteran-founded nonprofit is trying to turn race registrations into a route back to structure, purpose and community. Operation WarriorFit, based in North Carolina, provides free or substantially discounted entries to veterans, active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and first responders.
Founder and Executive Director Jonathan Milkovich told Military.com in an interview that the organization’s immediate goal is to remove the financial barrier that can keep people from committing to races and other active events. The organization has held federal tax-exempt status since October 2025.
From Airborne Infantry to Endurance Racing
Milkovich said he served five years in Army airborne infantry and later in the Wyoming National Guard. Repeated parachute jumps contributed to a serious knee injury and compressed discs in his spine, he said. After leaving service, he found that his physical injuries represented only part of the adjustment.
The main thing was … missing the people, Milkovich said.
He continued contacting recruiters about returning because he missed the community and shared mission, but his injuries prevented him from going back.
Running eventually supplied another demanding goal. Milkovich, who had competed in cross-country and track, began pursuing half-marathons, marathons and ultramarathons despite being told that he might never return to his previous athletic level.
That experience helped shape Operation WarriorFit. Milkovich said many races cost $150 to $200, creating a barrier for people who might benefit from having a goal, a training schedule and a group that expects them to show up.
“I truly do believe, and I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to experience it myself, that fitness is something that helps people,” he said.
How the Program Works
Operation WarriorFit serves honorably discharged veterans, active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and current or retired first responders, including police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, corrections officers and nurses.
Applicants currently attest to their eligibility, and Milkovich manually reviews applications. The organization plans to use a third-party verification service as it grows rather than collect documents containing Social Security numbers or other sensitive information.
At the time of the interview, Milkovich said the nonprofit had about 150 approved members, approximately 145 races in its database and roughly 2,700 donated race entries across about 30 states.
Some entries are completely free. Others require a one-time $9.95 commitment fee after a participant receives a spot. The organization says the fee is intended to reduce no-shows and cover processing costs, not pay for the underlying race registration.
Milkovich said race directors currently donate the entries. Operation WarriorFit generally begins by requesting a small number of entries from each event, allowing it to evaluate demand before expanding a partnership.
The long-term plan includes a scholarship fund that could pay for events not already available through the program.
“I don’t want us to be the reason that you can’t go race,” Milkovich said.
Milkovich said Operation WarriorFit is developing free training plans for different experience levels, from couch-to-5K programs to preparation for longer races and triathlons. The nonprofit also wants to establish local running, cycling, mountain biking, climbing and other activity groups.
Those groups would not require participants to enter a race or have military or first responder experience. Milkovich said the broader goal is to create nearby support systems for people whose closest military friends may now live across the country.
“One of my buddies is in Alaska, one’s in Florida, one’s in New York, and I’m in North Carolina,” he said.
Operation WarriorFit also plans to work with other nonprofits rather than try to build every type of veteran service internally. Milkovich said the organization could direct participants to partner groups that specialize in areas such as education and veterans benefits.
“I realized from the beginning, I can’t do everything,” he said. “As much as I want to think I can, I can’t.”
Why Movement and Community Matter
Operation WarriorFit’s approach combines two factors that can support veterans after service: regular physical activity and sustained social connection. Exercise can reduce stress, improve mood and ease symptoms associated with anxiety and depression, while group training can provide accountability that helps participants remain active.
The activity does not have to involve an ultramarathon or another extreme challenge. Walking, jogging, cycling, strength training and other forms of movement can provide mental and physical benefits when performed consistently.
Exercise should supplement, rather than replace, professional treatment for people experiencing clinical depression, anxiety disorders or other mental health conditions.
The community component may be particularly significant for veterans who lose an established team, routine and sense of shared purpose when they leave the military.
A six-month study of a veteran group-fitness program found that 80% of participants improved their physical and mental health. Participants also reported stronger social relationships, belonging and purpose, while researchers recorded improvements in measures including blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and blood sugar.
Those findings support Operation WarriorFit’s effort to build continuing relationships around training rather than treating each donated race entry as a single event.
Funding and Measuring Growth
Operation WarriorFit received a $65,000 grant from the Bateman Foundation, which Milkovich said would support its first year of operations. He said the grant also includes a $25,000 matching component tied to recurring donations.
Milkovich said participants are asked to complete surveys after their events so the nonprofit can track attendance, physical and mental well-being, injuries, miles completed and finish lines crossed. The surveys will also allow participants to identify gaps in training or community support.
Testing the Model Across North Carolina
The nonprofit’s largest planned event is Operation Carolina, a 700-mile run across North Carolina scheduled for Sept. 21 through Oct. 7. Milkovich plans to cover the route in 17 days, averaging roughly 40 to 45 miles per day. Supporters will be able to follow a live tracker and join him for portions of the route.
“Come run a mile with us,” Milkovich said.
Milkovich’s injuries from service resulted in him spending roughly a year in rehabilitation. The extent of those injuries became clearer only after he slowed down, he said, and doctors warned that he might never return to the kind of athlete he had been before serving.
The physical setbacks compounded the difficulty of leaving the military. Milkovich said he missed the community and sense of purpose so much that he continued calling recruiters about returning, even though his injuries made that unlikely.
Running gradually gave him another mission. He progressed from shorter races to marathons and ultramarathons, and he now plans to cover roughly 700 miles across North Carolina in 17 days.
“My side of the story is being told: I wasn’t going to be able to do something, and now look at what I’m doing,” Milkovich said.
Veterans, service members and first responders can apply through Operation WarriorFit’s website. Other supporters can volunteer, donate, connect the nonprofit with race organizers or help establish a local activity group.
Read the full article here