GREEN BAY — How much would you physically and mentally endure for a good cause?
If you’re up for it, Tad Taggart from Western Racquet & Fitness has a fitness challenge for you.
“A particular line stood out to me about doing the best I can and realizing that i can make this more than about myself,” Taggart said.
He was reading a book called The Heart and the Fist by Eric Greitens, which inspired him to see how far he could push himself.
“’(Greitens is) talking about ‘hell week’ that the Navy Seals go through and I just thought it was so inspiring what the human spirit and the human body can endure,” said Taggart. “I was just thinking to myself, ‘I wonder what I can get through’. So I started putting down this idea of challenging myself for 24 hours and then I started telling some people.”
Now that plan is in motion. On July 19th at 4 p.m. until July 20th at 4 p.m. he has created a challenge that will not only test those who go through it physically, but also mentally. It’s called ‘Endure: Just Finish’.
“24 hours of fitness and staying awake and working through it with various fitness events,” Taggart said of the event. “Whether it’s just basic PT drills like pushups, pullups, squats – to things as crazy as rock climbing, boxing and there’s even some axe throwing and escape rooms thrown in there. Just this variety of ways to challenge you physically and mentally for 24 straight hours.”
There's also a ‘Murph’ workout, a 10k run around Lambeau, with lots of rest and stretching in there as well. It’s not for the faint of heart.
“My hope is that the people doing this realize their true potential because as a personal trainer and a dietician I see people that don’t realize their full potential,” Taggart said. “They don’t realize how far they can really go. My hope is that this event is a challenge and a chance for people to see how far they can push themselves.”
Matt King will be participating in the event, and working out with Taggart has shown him how much he can endure.
“I look back to myself and my late 20’s and this version of myself can far out exceed that version of myself and a lot of it has to do because of my friend and coworker, Tad,” He said.
However, this event is bigger than those who are participating. The money raised will be going towards Hooah Wisconsin. it’s organization with a mission to eliminate suicide among service members and veterans.
“Veterans have much higher rates of mental health struggles and of suicide and I'm not okay with that,” Taggart aid. “I’m not okay with veterans who put their lives on the line who give it all for us – not getting the help they need and I think what Hooah Wisconsin does is incredible.”
Taggart says even if you can’t be there for the whole 24 hours or do everything that is required physically, that’s okay.
“If you can’t do a full murph or full pull ups, you can’t even do push ups – that’s fine. You want to be a part of this event – show up, we’ll modify (it). Do what you can. If you can’t make it through the 10k at 2 a.m. – then sleep. We want people to show up. We want to support a good cause.”
If you would like to donate you can do so here. If you want to participate in the challenge of a lifetime there's more information here.
