Pictured above from left: Katie Bopp; Digital Director Kurt Bopp; Human Outreach Analyst Pedro Gratacos, Quality Assurance Risk Management Coordinator Nicole Yesser, Regional Deputy Secretary Michael Wenerowicz and Assistant Counsel Andrew Hanna.
Four DOC employees from Central Office braved dangerous gusts to support the YWCA of the Greater Harrisburg's 15th Annual Race Against Racism on April 27.
Regional Deputy Secretary Michael Wenerowicz, Assistant Counsel Andrew Hanna, Quality Assurance Risk Management Coordinator Nicole Yesser and Digital Director Kurt Bopp represented the DOC on a windy Saturday morning in downtown Harrisburg. Human Outreach Analyst Pedro Gratacos supported the runners from a DOC recruitment booth, which he heroically kept together despite the heavy gusts.
Wenerowicz took first out of the group at 24:34, with Yesser finishing second at 27:01.
Bopp—who ran with his wife, Katie—set a personal best at 27:26 and credits it to still being fired up after seeing
Avengers: Endgame the day before.
But perhaps the best story for the DOC came from Hanna, who overcame all odds and a lingering hamstring injury to complete the course in 31:29. Not since Rocky Balboa went the distance against Apollo Creed has a Philadelphia-area athlete risen to the challenge to prove the critics and haters wrong.
Yesser, Hanna and Bopp can frequently be found in the Central Office weight room during lunch where Yesser works out with and trains Hanna with the compassion of a drill sergeant. Bopp does his own thing and watches with fear, though occasionally he'll jump in for a set.