“Gallant”
For time:
Run 1 mile w/ a 20 pound medicine ball
60 Burpee pull-ups
Run 800 meters w/ a 20 pound medicine ball
30 Burpee pull-ups
Run 400 meters w/ a 20 pound medicine ball
15 Burpee pull-ups
Post times to comments and BTWB
Why do we do Hero workouts? (click here for full CF Journal article)
A Community Honors the Fallen
To the average CrossFitter, Hero workouts are symbolic gestures of respect for our fallen. CrossFitters from all over the world, regardless of country or allegiance, throw themselves wholeheartedly at these intentionally gut-wrenching workouts that serve as a tribute to our lost protectors.
Lt. Col. Peter Andrysiak, commander of the 20th Engineer Battalion from Fort Hood, has a unique understanding of just how important the CrossFit Hero workout can be as a memorial to the friends and family of the deceased. On Nov. 5, 2009, an Islamic terrorist gunned down four of Andrysiak’s soldiers at Fort Hood in an attack in which 13 were killed and 30 wounded. Andrysiak’s soldiers were members of Lumberjack CrossFit, a military a liate in Fort Hood, Texas. Teaming up with CrossFit Headquarters, Andrysiak set out to create a brutal test of fortitude to honor his men, a workout based on a template they had previously used as a readiness test for Lumberjack soldiers. It became known as the Lumberjack 20. One month after the attack at Fort Hood, the workout was posted, and in a simultaneous showing of support, the community raised over $50,000 for wounded warriors. “My soldiers (friends of the fallen) really appreciate what the CF community did,” Andrysiak recalls. “We will do the Lumberjack 20 on 5 November this year, and the leadership in this organization will make it a tradition. Forever, these kids will remember the Lumberjack 20 and what it represents.”
What Andrysiak and CrossFit created was a way to immortalize the fallen and remind ourselves that even in their untimely deaths these fellow CrossFitters were committed to the safety and freedom of the rest of us. The Lumberjack workout gave the community a way to show its support and perhaps help ease the pain of a terrible tragedy. But Andrysiak also noted that the Lumberjack 20 played an important and often-undiscussed role for those with personal connections to the victims: assisting with the healing process and helping friends and family grieve.
Sharing a Soldier’s Story
The Hero workout McGhee, first posted on CrossFit.com on April 15, 2010, was submitted to CrossFit headquarters by Sta Sgt. Brendan Souder to honor his friend, Cpl. Ryan McGhee, after the Army Ranger was fatally wounded by small-arms fire while operating in Central Iraq. It’s hard enough to wake up in the morning and find another Hero workout posted on CrossFit.com. It can be unimaginable to think of seeing the photo and name of a friend or loved one above that workout. Souder, like Andrysiak, is connected to Hero WODs by something more than patriotism and community. “It was about telling Ryan’s story,” Souder explains. “Guys that don’t even know Ryan, if they knew his story, they would love him … . The point is to let everyone know that he did something for them, and the least you can do is complete this workout to honor him.” Souder and McGhee had been good friends, and Souder had been the recruiter when the high-school football star had decided to pass up college scholarships for a chance to get into Ranger Regiment. Souder helped McGhee fight for weeks to secure the difficult-to-attain Ranger contract that allowed him the chance to attend selection into Ranger Regiment. After McGhee’s death, Souder knew he needed to honor the soldier by submitting a Hero workout—something for Ryan, those close to him, and Souder himself.
“Every time you do that workout,” Souder said, “you try to think about what it was like to be in that guy’s shoes, everything up until the point he died … . Once you get over it, you need an outlet to let loose some of your frustration.” Souder also reminded that these sorts of gestures and tributes are neither new nor unusual. “Everybody gets it,” he said. “We already say, ‘One for the Airborne Ranger in the sky,’ and this is just one more thing.” In similar fashion, many members of the military wear KIA (killed in action) bracelets in memory of fallen comrades, and police officers often emblazon their vehicles with the badge numbers of fficers killed in the line of duty. CrossFit Hero workouts are just another expression of this sense of brotherhood, and they are uniquely suited to a unique community. Even close friends and family members of the victims who have never heard of CrossFit understand a Hero WOD to be a tremendous honor.
Lest We Forget
For those of us who undertake these physical tests, the psychological effects of performing a Hero workout are tremendous. It’s easy to treat these prescriptions as any workout of the day, but for those who take the time to learn about the heroes they honor, the WODs can become as spiritual and emotionally demanding as they are physically grueling. When keeping the stories behind the real-life heroes in mind, slowing down during a Hero workout becomes harder to justify. When the pain of pushing harder becomes too great, I am reminded of the sacrifice these men made for my freedom, and my struggle becomes laughable. And when I compare my temporary sffering to the lifelong sorrow felt by the grieving families of these men, dropping the bar becomes an embarrassment to my country. The Hero workout is more than a test of physical ability. It bridges the gap between the body and the mind, emotion and experience, and gives us the chance to do more than just remember our soldiers. It gives us the chance to sweat, bleed, sffer and grieve for our fallen heroes one rep at a time.
