Marine Corps recruits train in Nashville
Marine poolees participate in a combat fitness test workout at a field near the US Marine Corps recruiting office, in Madison, Tenn., Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016.
Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean
GARDNER — Fitness Concepts is looking for a few good men and women to help support a Christmas charity event.
The health facility is hosting a Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test to benefit Toys For Tots on Oct. 16. The test, which includes a 3-mile run, two minutes of crunches and a max set of pull-ups, was designed to give participants an idea of what it takes to be a Marine while at the same time raising money for a worthy cause.
The idea for the event came from club member Isaac Croteau, who served in the Marines from 2002 to 2011 and is a Purple Heart recipient. Croteau said he wanted to find a way to support the Toys For Tots program, which was founded by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 1947.
“Every year I try to do something (for the program) and keep that connection, but I’ve always wanted to kind of do something bigger, so this was the year we decided to do it,” said Croteau. “And teaming up with Fitness Concepts and (CrossFit 696 owners) Matt and Chris Cali has given me the opportunity to try to expand on it a little bit.”
Matt Cali said he is proud to have the opportunity to team up with Croteau and the Marine Corps to support the program that has been providing Christmas gifts for children for more than 70 years.
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‘The first mission is to benefit the kids’
“(Isaac) wanted to do a physical fitness test using the three standards for Marines physical fitness as a challenge to bring people together, to donate toys and to participate in the same events that the Marines participate in for the line of duty,” Cali said. The event will likely also include an obstacle course challenge.
Croteau said the challenge is based on the physical fitness standards for the Marine Corps when he was on active duty.
“It has differed slightly since I got out, but I just tried to keep it simple and keep to the standards that were there when I was in,” he said.
He conceded that some participants might be leery about undertaking such a rigorous routine.
“The first mission is to benefit the kids and to really make their Christmas something to remember,” he said. “As far as people who are a little intimidated, especially by the pull-ups, we have a lot of options because we’re trying to do this more for fun than keeping it on a competitive edge. We really just want people to come out and enjoy themselves.”
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Anybody has what it takes to participate
Cali said he hopes that would-be participants won’t be discouraged by thinking they don’t have what it takes to be as physically fit as a U.S. Marine. He added that participants will be divided by age group and gender.
“The reason you can’t is the reason why you should,” he said. “It’s going to be a fun event to just be a part of, and taking your ‘can’ts’ and making them ‘cans.’ If you’re saying, ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I can’t do that,’ is the reason you should come and participate so you can overcome that.”
Food, music and prizes
The event will also include live music, food and prizes for the top male and female contestants.
Cali said that Fitness Concepts has long been a supporter of the Toys For Tots program, hosting a Christmas Eve fundraiser boot camp each year. He said he hopes holding a similar event in October will give more people an opportunity to take part.
“Also, this was important to Isaac, and Isaac has been great to us, so we wanted to help him achieve this longtime goal that he’s had,” Cali said.
Cali hopes the event will become an annual tradition at Fitness Concepts.
“We support the Toys For Tots drive, we support the United States Marine Corps, and we could absolutely see this event as something we do every year.”
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