When Sally Bartelmo isn’t running a nuclear waste processing facility for a Savannah River Site (SRS) mission, she’s running marathons to complete a mission of her own.
As the operations manager of the Defense Waste Processing Facility at SRS, Bartelmo currently helps the SRS liquid waste contractor, Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC), safely treat and dispose of millions of gallons of radioactive waste remaining in underground tanks at SRS, according to a press release from SRS.
On her days off though, she has been working towards a personal mission for 10 years – running a marathon, or more, in each of the nation’s 50 states.
She completed that mission in June 2024.
“My dad, an avid runner, passed away while he was on a run,” Bartelmo said. “I was in college at the time, and I ran a 5K as a tribute to him. After that, I wanted to go longer distances. I’ve been running marathons ever since.”
It didn’t take Bartelmo long to combine her new love of running with her life-long love of traveling. Hundreds of miles and more than 60 races later, her journey was accomplished at mile 26.2 on June 3 in Deadwood, S.D.
“It feels great to be able to accomplish a goal like this one,” Bartelmo said. “I don’t think it fully hit me until I was on the plane home. This has been a fun goal to go after, but after 10 years, it’s a relief to have it all done.”
Celebrating her success, Bartelmo credited her SRMC co-workers for the support they’ve shown along the way.
“When I started this goal, I did not think anyone would care about it. But what I found is that the encouragement that my co-workers and friends gave me carried me to the end,” she said.
One of her co-workers, Tank Farm Shift Operations Manager Annah Garrison, even ran the last marathon with her, and several showed up in South Dakota to cheer her on, according to a press release from SRS.
“This was a long, hard-earned goal, and I truly would not have gotten it done without a lot of people in my corner,” Bartelmo said. “I hope everyone is as lucky as I am with great people.”
Bartelmo also said she learned a lot while running races, including some things from working at SRS – like having the “right tools” for the job.
“I need to be ready with a certain set of tools when I show up for a race – not only things like water and the right shoes, but also the right mindset,” she said.
After starting her SRS career as an engineering summer intern in 2011, Bartelmo has been promoted to various positions, such as shift technical engineer, shift operations managers and a project owner in the farms, before becoming the DWPF operations manager in 2023.
“Similarly, I need to come to work with the right tools to make sure I can get the job done safely and correctly,” Bartelmo said. “Being prepared for a race means I will be ready to handle the path in front of me, and being prepared for work means I’m ready for what I have on my plate that day.”
