Amy Cotta is a mother of six, a published author, a former national fitness champion—and the founder of a national remembrance movement born from grief, grit, and combat boots.

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At 40, Amy did something most people wouldn’t dare—she learned to swim so she could race an open-water triathlon in honor of her family battling cancer. That race changed everything. Her personal journey of endurance became something deeper: a mission.

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In 2011, the world shifted again. She signed over her 17-year-old son to the U.S. Marine Corps during wartime. The weight of that moment lit a fire in her soul. While her son trained at Parris Island, Amy laced up a pair of USMC combat boots—not just to cope, but to move through the fear.

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What started with a 5K became a half marathon. Then a full. Then Ironman Chattanooga. She raced wearing combat boots and a weighted military ruck, covered in photos of twenty-one fallen service members.

That one act of remembrance launched a national movement:

Memories of Honor—a nonprofit that turns athletic events, music, and everyday acts into sacred spaces of remembrance.

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Her mission is simple, but bold:

Make EVERY DAY Memorial Day.

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Today, Amy is a social entrepreneur, a philanthropic athlete, and a voice for the voiceless—especially the families left behind. She leads with sweat, with story, and with a battle cry that won't be silenced:

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"Freedom didn’t come free. And remembrance shouldn’t be silent."