Hero Spotlight: James Knauer

Military veteran James Knauer loves a good challenge and being captain of LiveFitArmy’s running team.  Originally from upstate New York, Knauer currently lives in Boston with his wife and two children.  He comes from a family of service members and enlisted as an infantry rifleman in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 2002.  “[I joined] the military to create a better life for myself,” Knauer said. 

In 2003, he was deployed to Iraq, an experience that would have a significant impact on his life. 

“It’s fairly isolating [there],” he said. “It can be hard to explain being in a war-torn country and trying to do your job. It’s a very different kind of experience.”

After his tour of duty, Knauer enrolled in college. It was difficult to adjust back to civilian life, but he tried to make the most of it. He joined a co-ed service fraternity, where he met friends and participated in volunteer work. 

Years later, he became a robotics engineer for Mitsubishi Electric. But he still longed to be part of a community with a common goal. During that time, his wife was expecting their second child and Knauer wanted to maintain his health to support his children in the best way possible. 

In 2021, he learned about LiveFitArmy, a lifestyle personal training brand that helps people live a healthier lifestyle and reach their fitness goals. He began running with members of the group, and eventually he became its captain. In that role, Knauer plans the routes and running challenges for members to tackle.

“We do a great job at including new people, supporting and encouraging them to challenge themselves,” Knauer said. “It’s a good space for people to grow in their lives.”

As a leader, Knauer wants to uplift his team to reach their running goals and feel confident and ready to compete in any marathon. And he believes when someone has a strong support system, they can overcome any obstacles that come their way. 

“When things occur in life, [and] you don’t have the strength to push through it, you can use your support system, and the people around you to be able to overcome it,” he said. 

Knauer was instrumental in finding and connecting LiveFitArmy with Mercy Home. He discovered our Heroes team online when looking for charities to run in Chicago in 2022. 

“It really resonated with me when [I found] Mercy Home,” he said. “Some of the [trauma the youth have] shouldn’t be put on them at a young age.”

 Knauer and the LiveFitArmy running team have run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon as Mercy Home Heroes for the past three years. 

Knauer and his team have felt supported by the Mercy Home Heroes program. He appreciated how they communicated important details and information leading up to race day, helped with training plans, hosted a pasta dinner for all the Heroes running the marathon, and cheered them on as they ran past Mercy Home at Mile 17.

This year, Knauer and the LiveFitArmy team are back for their fourth year in a row. As they run past the Mercy Mile, you can spot Knauer by his unconventional footwear. He said he traded in his running shoes for sandals while training and running marathons, claiming that it has helped strengthen his joints and muscles in his feet and legs. 

With over ten team members on the LiveFitArmy running team, Knauer is looking forward to seeing his teammates cross the finish line with joy on their faces. 

“I’m grateful I met this community and how supportive we are to each other,” Knauer said. “It’s been a great gift.”