Latest / Illinois Valley - Shaw Local / Henry-Midland’s Daniella Bumber ‘proud’ to follow family’s military legacy, run track at Naval Academy

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Henry-Midland’s Daniella Bumber ‘proud’ to follow family’s military legacy, run track at Naval Academy · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Henry Midland's Daniella Bumber proud to follow families military legacy
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  run track at Naval Academy. Written by Kevin Schlum, This
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  article is being read by an automated voice brought to
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  you by Everlett. On June twenty fifth, Henry Midland runner
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  Daniella Bummer starts the next chapter in her life. On
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  that day, Bummer leaves for six weeks of basic training
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  in Maryland ahead of starting her college career at the
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  US Naval Academy, where she'll also run track and field.
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  But it almost didn't happen. I went to the Naval
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  Academy for an official visit, expecting it to be a
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  total bust, Bummer said, I actually almost canceled my flight
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  because I had to go out there alone. I got there,
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  met the coaches and the entire staff and realized that
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  those people who you see on TV, who are real
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  athletes competing, that was the environment I was in. Then
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  walking on post, it was like, Wow, this is people's dreams.
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  I flew home from that trip and realized that everything
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  that I've been wanting, it fit every single checkbox. The
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  people were just beyond phenomenal. Every doubt I've had in
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  a school all faded away. Bummer is following in her
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  father Matt's footsteps going into the military as he served
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  in the Army, following my family's legacy of being a
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  military family. I know it makes him proud, and I'm
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  proud to be able to continue that on for him,
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  Bummer said, He's my biggest supporter and has been since
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  day one. Being able to do this it's great for me,
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  but also something he can look and be like my
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  daughter did it. Bumber's journey to becoming a midshipman began
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  last July. As the process of being accepted into a
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  military academy is a long one. Along with filling out
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  an application and writing an essay, Bummer had to get
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  a congressional appointment, which involved answering questions before a five
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  person panel at US Rep. Darren Thehood's office, and a
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  four to five month long medical process that was made
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  longer when Bummer was initially medically disqualified before receiving a waiver.
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  I don't think people realize how many steps are actually involved,
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  Bumber said. It's a difficult thing to do, but I
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  think the most difficult part about it is having patience
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  because I started this process last July. It's a very
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  long checklist. Along with following her family's history of military service,
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  Bumber is looking forward to the opportunity of competing at
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  the Division I level. It's extremely exciting, Bummer said. One
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  of the reasons I decided to go there is the
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  facilities they have. They are exceptional, especially their indoor facility.
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  Bumber said. The Navy women's track team has a strong
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  incoming class. They just recruited about six other female athletes
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  just like me with similar range times. Bummer said, being
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  able to compete with girls who are similar in times,
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  it's going to be very motivating because it's not like
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  I'm the bottom of the pack, middle of the pack.
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  We're all at that top speed. We're all able to
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  compete together. Iron sharpens iron in every aspect at the
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  Naval Academy, so it will be extremely exciting. Bumber capped
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  a decorated prep career with three medals at the ISSA
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  Class one A state meet over Memorial Day weekend. She
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  placed second in the four hundred meters in fifty six
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  point sixty three seconds, took eighth in the two hundred
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  and twenty five point seven four seconds and ran the
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  anchor leg on the Timber Ducks seventh place FOURK one
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  hundred relay. Bumber also qualified for state in the one hundred,
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  finishing fifteenth. Bumber finished her career with eleven state medals,
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  including three runner up finishes in the four hundred. Bummer
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  said her coaches at Navy are looking for her to
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  run the two hundred and four hundred, and she expects
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  to be part of a four x four hundred that's
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  going to be something really exciting and new for me
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  because I have never done that race before. Bummer said
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  about the fourth four x f one hundredred right now,
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  I think freshman year they're looking at putting all of
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  us freshman girls into a four x four hundred that
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  could hopefully compete at the national level. Before choosing the
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  Naval Academy, Bummer also considered West Point Air Force, Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Bradley,
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  Northern Illinois, Central Michigan, and Indiana State