Bubba Wallace helps honor military spouses, interviews Kristen Christy

Bubba Wallace and fellow Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers are helping to honor military spouses as part of the NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola program, and he recently interviewed Kristen Christy, the Armed Forces Insurance 2018 Air Force Military Spouse of the Year. Christy’s entire life is intertwined with the Air Force and service. Her father served for 32 years and lived all over the world in joint assignments. Her first husband served for 18 years before his passing, and her new groom is an Air Force Reservist with 13 years of service. Suicide prevention is important to Christy, whose first husband committed suicide following his service in Iraq. She sees prevention as an aspect of an overarching issue of helping people overcome obstacles and wants to use her own resiliency and lessons learned to help others transition from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) to PTG (Post-Traumatic Growth). “You know if you want to get something done you go to a military spouse,” Christy says. “We have to make lemonade out of lemons all the time.” She says she draws strength and optimism from the NASCAR fan base and seeing all the appreciation at the track. "That fan base is so patriotic! And to see those flags flying and the flyovers at those races ... it just makes your heart soar," said Christy of NASCAR's special races honoring military service members and their families. "It kind of gives us more energy to be at our best and do what we do." On behalf of Kristen, NASCAR & Coca-Cola will donate to USO programming that supports and strengthens military spouses. Through the USO Unites pillar, the USO provides national and local programming that helps to nurture and maintain a strong bond between service members, their families and the community. Through programs focused on connection, strengthening, wellness and resiliency, the USO expresses America’s gratitude and commitment to service members and their families. “Having Coca-Cola step in and donate to the special programs really means a lot and gives back to them,” Wallace said. “I feel like we should always do more. So it’s nice to be part of a sport and a company that’s willing to lay it all on the line just like they did for us.” Through the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers will honor a military spouse each week in support of the USO’s Salute to Military Spouses. Stay tuned as Kyle Larson and Joey Logano each interview a military spouse to help share their respective stories. And click here to see Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman’s interviews with servicemembers’ spouses.