MANSFIELD, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—A Galion grad and military officer has “muscled” his way to the top spot in a national fitness competition for members of the Air National Guard.
Maj. Timothy Gribble, a personnel flight commander for the 179th Cyberspace Wing in Mansfield, has been honored with the 2023 Athlete of the Year award for the Air National Guard. Only “fitting” for the 36-year-old, who has racked up accolades in triathlons, obstacle courses, and even a 50-K race.
“I was pretty surprised. I was not expecting this,” said Gribble, an 18-year military veteran who was recognized Sunday by his wing commander and the Force Support Squadron. “But fitness has always been a part of my life, from the teamwork part of it to the personal aspect of it.”
Gribble qualified for the national team March 9 after competing in the All Guard Endurance Team Time Trials in Knoxville, Tenn. – a series of events consisting of strength training, running, and obstacle course racing. He also finished first in the state and was the sole member of the national team to represent the Ohio Air National Guard.
Gribble is a natural at endurance competitions. He won first place in “The Murph Challenge,” a one-mile run followed by 100 pull-ups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, and another one-mile run. He also finished in the top five at War-X, a grueling trilogy of obstacle runs. “To me, that exemplifies the message I’m trying to show. No matter what the challenge, you gotta’ push through it.”
Last June Gribble finished third in his age group in Savage Race Ohio, an intense 10-K course in Zanesfield packed with mud, water, and other obstacles. In October he won third overall in Chillicothe’s Scioto Trail Challenge, a 50-K trail race winding through the hilly state forest in Ross County. “I am really proud of that one. It was my first attempt at that distance.”
Gribble’s lifelong fitness journey started early at the Galion YMCA where he played “Hoops & Scoops” and “Kicks & Licks” as a youngster and admired the wellness and workout ethic of his father, Terry Gribble, also the Y’s longtime executive director. “It was never a matter of ‘if’ I was going to say fit or be active, it was ‘what’ I would do to stay active.”
Although he played football and excelled in swimming and track in high school, Gribble said he found his niche in endurance sports as a student at Bowling Green State University where he made his biking debut in a benefit ride from Cincinnati to Bowling Green. In his 20’s, he was a regular medal-winner at area 5-K’s, triathlons, and iron man competitions.
Nowadays, when he’s not lifting at the gym or working with kettlebells and sandbags, Gribble is a firefighter for the city of Columbus and a physical training coordinator for the Fire Academy. He credits his wife, Allison – an active-duty Air Force officer – and three children for providing motivation – and supporting his passion for fitness.
Gribble is also a top contender in a national contest to win $20,000 and be featured in “Muscle & Fitness” magazine. But he doesn’t consider himself a gifted athlete, just a regular guy finding a way to get it done. “With consistent hard work the results will show and pay off. It’s just a matter of being aware and purposeful in everything we do in life.
