The parking lot at Snow Trails was filled with vehicles and the trails were filled with participants taking on the second annual Hero Challenge. The 5K’s website describes it as a “challenging yet not painful, providing a good test of strength, endurance and mental toughness, to be fun and as demanding as you want it to be.”
Nate Wolleson, marketing manager at Snow Trails, estimated that the event drew in mostly participants from around the state and some from parts of the midwest with “age ranges anywhere from 13-65.”
The challenge is a part of the draw. Participants came to test their athletic aptitude against approximately 28 obstacles, including the especially challenging pre-race Fit Pit. “Fit Pit is a lot like cross-fit,” explained Wolleson, “You have multiple exercises that you execute in 90 seconds with a 30 second break in between.” The test had many signing up to take it.
Ohio State students Rick Frys and Keon Willis along with Will Crawley, Ron Harper IV, Donnell Smith, Eugene Adams, and Don Barnes. The group of six traveled down from the Cleveland area and were all smiles after crossing the finish line. They were not disappointed with the trip.
“This was our first Hero Challenge, but definitely not the last. It was a good time.” Willis stated. The group enthusiastically agreed. Even with the courses challenges, Crawley emphasized, “It was cool though, real fun.”
The second annual event was hosted at the Snow Trails grounds and co-sponsored by Fit 1 Crossfit and Snow Trails. The event was also held to benefit Richland County resident Joe Tadijanac.
Tadijanac, a Washington Township Fire Department firefighter, suffered the loss of both legs when he was pinched between two tankers in a 2012 fire. The Richland county resident was all smiles as the morning event wrapped up. He is recovering from the accident through surgery and working with prosthetics.
“[I’m] overwhelmed, totally overwhelmed,” he said about the event. As the course cleared, he joined in himself, and took a plunge down a hillside slip-n-slide to cap off the event.
