Photo courtesy of EOD Warrior Foundation
Veterans Day is November 11th and this day makes for a great time to consider how individuals, groups, businesses, and gyms can get involved and show their support for our nation’s veterans. While it’s estimated that there are over 19 million veterans in the country, there is one elite group of veterans in need of your support, because they have the most dangerous job in the military. This group is EOD or explosive ordnance disposal, or to many, bomb disposal. This Veterans Day, you can join a movement, and use your work out as a way to support these important members of our military.
Since September 11, 2001, there have been 131 EOD technicians killed while carrying out an EOD mission. Fellow EOD technicians designed a memorial workout to honor these fallen heroes. The EOD 131 is an EOD Memorial Crossfit workout of the day (WOD), and is a challenging workout dedicated to raising awareness for the EOD community and raising funds for the EOD Warrior Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting this elite community and their families.
“This nationwide workout to support EOD veterans is fun, it helps people get fit, and it helps to support one of the most elite groups defending our nation,” explains Nicole Motsek, the executive director of the EOD Warrior Foundation. “It’s easy to get involved, whether you are a gym, business, or individual, just sign up and enlist your friends. It’s a workout that will leave you feeling great physically and emotionally.”
The EOD131 takes place between October 1 and November 30, 2016, with proceeds benefitting the EOD Warrior Foundation. Each repetition in the workout symbolizes the sacrifice of one of the 131 EOD heroes who have been killed during combat operations since 9/11. How it works: gyms, military commands or individuals register to participate in the workout. The workout is done as a two-man team, as EOD technicians are trained to work in pairs. Each person who officially registers receives an EOD 131 Memorial T-shirt, and their donation goes directly to the EOD Warrior Foundation.
Workout participants wear a 20 pound vest or body armor, and do the following:
65 Front Squats at 135lb Men/95lb Women
65 Kettle Bell Swings at 72lb M/54lb W
16 Partner Over Burpees
65 Hang Power Cleans at 135lb M/95lb W
65 Single Arm Kettle Bell Press at 54lb M/34lb W
16 Partner over Burpees
65 Chest to Bar Pull-ups
65 Box Jumps at 30″ M/24″ W
16 Partner over Burpees
65 Push ups (Chest to Deck)
65 “Pendlay” Barbell Rows at 135lb M/95lb W
16 Partner over Burpees
400 Meter Run-In Honor of SSGT Lyon
*Participants can scale the workout to their ability level.
The workout was started three years ago by EOD technicians who wanted to honor their fellow comrades and help those still battling injury. The workout is modified each year if another hero is memorialized. This year a 400 Meter run is added to the end of the workout to honor Marine SSGT David Lyon who recently died of wounds sustained during combat operations in Afghanistan.
It’s estimated that there are over 36,000 health clubs around the country, and over 55 million people that belong to them. In 2015 alone, there were over 64 million Americans who utilized a health club.
“The EOD Memorial Workout helps people to make a difference. Imagine the good we could do if even a small percentage of the nation’s health clubs and gyms get involved in this,” added Motsek.
EOD warriors spend their days defusing explosive devices on and off the battlefield. Many of them leave the military in need of some type of assistance, including financial, physical, or psychological. Some are missing limbs, while others suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and still others have traumatic brain injuries. Workout participants make a $35 donation to the cause and get a T-shirt for participating, they also get in a challenging workout as well as the satisfaction of knowing they have helped EOD warriors. Those interested in supporting the cause and getting involved in the nationwide workout can find more information and register their gym or group at: www.eodmemorialworkout.com and the Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DetonatorThrowdown. To learn more about the EOD Warrior Foundation, visit their site at: www.eodwarriorfoundation.org.
Photo courtesy of EOD Warrior Foundation