Army Sgt. Colett Rampf, a member of the World Class Athlete Program, Fort Carson, Colorado, runs the 4 by 400-mm during training. She hopes to secure a spot on the women’s 3,000-mm steeplechase team during the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.
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WASHINGTON – One radiology technologist hopes to represent the Army and U.S. by scoring a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team during the Team Trials in Track and Field in June in Eugene, Oregon.
Sgt. Colett Rampf, a member of the World Class Athlete Program, Fort Carson, Colorado, specializes in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase, an obstacle race that consists of a water jump, hurdle and 3,000 meters. She also won first place at the Army Ten-Miler, women’s division, in 2022, and took second place in 2023. She’s a seven-time NCAA All-American.
Olympics
Rampf said her goal is the Olympics.
“Making the Olympic team is the ultimate goal at the end of the day,” she said with a smile. “I want to represent the Army as best I can. It would mean a lot to me.”
Growing up in Germany, she had people tell her she wouldn’t succeed as a runner and when she came to the United States, they told her she wouldn’t thrive here. She said she has had the support of family, friends and her husband, who serves as a signals officer with her at Fort Carson.
“I left all my family behind in Germany to come to the [United] States, and I have always tried to do my very best,” she said. “People have doubted me along the way. I like proving them wrong. It’s what drives me, but also the people who love me and support me, even from thousands of miles away. For them, I wake up every morning and for them, I work as hard as I can every day.”
Rampf said she hopes to inspire other Soldiers to pursue their dreams.
“You can do so much more, like more than you ever would think,” she said.
Army Ten-Miler
Rampf had earned NCAA titles but hadn’t made her mark in running until the Army Ten-Miler. She ran a Ten-Miler race at Fort Carson, and her leadership asked her to be part of the Fort Carson Army Ten-Miler team. She said she went into the marathon with no expectations.
“I had never raced in a big event like that before,” she said. “I had no idea the size of the race. It was just awesome, not just winning the race, but to race along with those who have served, those who got hurt in combat, veterans and all the spectators, that’s the spirit of it. You don’t do the race for yourself. You do it for all your peers, all the past and future Soldiers.”
She won the women’s division that year and helped her team win, putting her on WCAP’s radar and one step closer to the Olympics. She now trains with other WCAP Olympic hopefuls who will compete at the upcoming Olympic Trials to earn their spots on the U.S. Olympics track and field team for the summer games in Paris.