Tulsi Gabbard in Central Texas for Memorial Day fitness event raising money for military families

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Former Hawaii Congresswoman and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard is in Central Texas this weekend gearing up for a fitness event to help raise money for military families.

Monday’s event hits close to home for Gabbard — she’s a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and served in three different war zones.

“And unfortunately, lost brothers and sisters of mine who served in those war zones, and so Memorial Day is a special time for us to just pause and honor those who paid the ultimate price and sacrificing their lives and service to our country, while also remembering that the best way to honor their sacrifice is to celebrate our own freedom, and what it means to be an American,” Gabbard said while she stopped at KXAN to talk about the event called Memorial Day Celebration of Freedom.

The workout is at 8 a.m. Monday at the Staccato Ranch in Florence. The workout is open to all fitness levels and aims to help people get out of their comfort zone.

“I think it’s important to try to be physically fit in general in life,” Gabbard said. “We have these different workouts that are named after servicemen and women who have paid the ultimate price, just as a reminder of the challenges that our servicemen and women face around the world still today and in training here at home.”

There’s more to the workout — attendees will have the opportunity to take in part tactical games and more.

“I just actually got a message that a heligunner is going to be a part of this event,” Gabbard said. “So if you come, you can go and join and get to shoot from a helicopter. In the air not on the ground.”

The event costs $25, and organizers say 100% of the proceeds go to support Gold Star Families. The group helps families of service members killed in combat.

Talks of a potential VP run

Gabbard’s name has come up as a potential running mate for former President Donald Trump.

“I’ve spoken to him. I’ve met with him a number of times,” Gabbard said. “I won’t talk about what we discussed, but my goal and focus regardless of what happens is ensuring that we, as Americans, do our part to actually have a government of, by and for the people in this upcoming election and protect our freedom.”

She recently came out with a book called For Love of Country: Leave the Democrat Party Behind.

“It talks about my own experiences serving in different war zones, the lessons that I learned and how I took those experiences to try to bring about change through politics, both in our domestic and foreign policy,” Gabbard said. “It talks about how I’ve been a Democrat for 20 years, but why I left the Democratic Party and what’s going on in our politics today that’s actually posing a direct threat to our freedom and our democracy. And issuing a call to action to Americans to do exactly what we’re doing on Monday — is to find ways and opportunities to come together, set aside differences that we may have, but really stand together on the foundation of defending freedom.”

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