CrossFit provides a method for a personal journey to constantly improve oneself physically, mentally, and spiritually. The intensity of the workouts often makes you question your physical and mental capacity. I heard Greg Amundson say that "The biggest improvement that CrossFit athletes experience is between the ears." The mind can allow us to achieve greatness or cause us to fail. There are only two ways to fail...quit or die.


Since starting CrossFit I have always had a deep appreciation for the Hero WODs. I grew up on various Military Bases as my Father served in the USMC as a helicopter pilot. I remember when we got the news of a helicopter crash involving his squadron while lifting off from a carrier off the coast of Okinowa. He lost good friends, most of which had their families living in Hawaii while they were deployed. I remember seeing these families pack up and move back to the mainland. I often wonder what happened to the children.


I was introduced to CrossFit by a fellow Police Officer back in 2005. "Fight gone bad" on my first day? Really Rochet? Well, I was hooked. "Murphy" came to be my favorite workout. I remember the days when every six months or so we would see a new Hero WOD. Now, I think it's almost three a month. I went to "Randy" Simmons funeral. (Hero Workout #10). I was a new SWAT officer myself at the time and was taken back at how he died. More so, I was incredibly moved by what type of man he was outside of law enforcement. He left two children behind that loved and admired their father. He led a group of inner city youth from his Church who were left without a great mentor.


My personal desire to become a better husband, father, and find some inner peace pushed me to find a way to appreciate life and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and to those left behind. Since opening my own CrossFit affiliate with my wife in 2009, I have missed completing many of the new Hero WODS. The Challenge I came up with for myself was to complete all the Hero WODs, as prescribed, in the order they were posted. To add to the challenge, I decided I would do one Hero WOD a day, six days a week, resting on Sundays. When I started the challenge there were 50 Hero WODS.

20110326

Saturday - March 26th, 2011


U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Severin W. Summers III, 43, of Bentonia, MS, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), headquartered at Jackson, MS, died August 2, 2009 in Qole Gerdsar, Afghanistan, after his vehicle was struck by a command wire improvised explosive device.

Summers is survived by his wife Tammy Fraser and his daughters Jessica, Shelby & Sarah.

First posted 5 September 2010






Day 36 of the Hero WOD Challenge

"Severin"

Wearing a 20 pound vest complete the following for time:

50 Strict Pull-ups,
100 Push-ups, release hands from floor at the bottom.
Run 5k

Time: 39 minutes 56 seconds


My goal was to finish under 40 minutes.  The push-ups were tough after the past two days.  It's not easy running with weight.  Thank you to all those carrying the burden of protecting our freedoms.  When I started thinking the 20 pounds was heavy and the hill was steep I thought of those patrolling the hills of Afghanistan wondering if they were complaining about the weight they are carrying.  I doubt it.

The six Heros I honored this week left behind a combined 11 children.  May we remember them and pray for them.

Another new Hero WOD posted on Main Site today.  U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Matthew T. Abbate.

That makes 53 Hero WODs to date.
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