MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Despite being hospitalized for pneumonia earlier this week, UW-Eau Claire junior Ricky Schiff, ran the Madison Half-Marathon in less than two hours a day before Veterans Day.

Schiff serves in the U.S. National Guard, and comes from a line of military service men. Schiff’s inspiration comes from them, and he says they’re the reason why he ran in the marathon, for the Badgers Honor Flight.

“I really thought about that. In the military they always talk about remember your why,” Schiff said.  “Find your why when you are feeling sick or something and you feel like you don’t want to be doing something. Dig deep and find your why and that was definitely my why today.”

The Badger Honor Flight is a non-profit organization based in Madison that helps World War II, Vietnam, Korean and terminally ill veterans get to the national memorials in Washington, D.C. So far, Schiff has raised over $1,400.

The marathon just so happened to be on the Marine Corps’ birthday. Schiff’s father served in the Marines and passed away from cancer when Schiff was a freshman in high school.

“He never got to go on an honor flight, nor my grandfather who was in World War II. It’s like paying it forward,” said Schiff.

The money Schiff raised sends five veterans on the Honor Flight.

“Five veterans get to go on this flight because of some little idea that I created  and it kind of like gives me chills like wow I did this,” said Schiff.