FORWARD OPERATING BASE WRIGHT, Afghanistan – A mix of civilians and military members deployed to Forward Operation Base Wright, next to the town of Asadabad in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province, came together to help raise more than $6,000 for wounded warriors and cancer survivors Sept. 25.
Mike Osburn, an engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers attached to the Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team, headed the group of 10 through the workout known in the CrossFit world as Fight Gone Bad. In order to participate, they each raised money for the charities.
“I saw it advertised on one of the CrossFit websites and thought it would be good idea to do it here,” said Osburn, a Franklin, Tenn., native. “So, I went around and looked for at least five people [to participate], but managed to get 10, which is more than I expected. I just thought it was really cool that the money was going to benefit the wounded soldiers and cancer survivors. I wanted to be a part of that.”
According to CrossFit’s website, the first four editions of the Fight Gone Bad fundraising event raised more than $2 million. This year’s event took place Sept. 25 at more than 500 locations throughout the United States and around the world. Not only was Osburn’s expectation exceeded by the local turn out, but also the amount of funds raised by the group.
“It was surprising to us that we were able to raise almost as much as the International Region,” said Osburn. “We ended up about $3,000 shy of what all the CrossFit gyms outside the U.S. were able to raise. I thought that was cool, considering there are only 10 of us.”
This was the fifth Fight Gone Bad hosted by the CrossFit foundation, but the first time many of these Soldiers, Sailors and civilians have been a part of it. The foundation also boasts that it is the most brutal workout in their CrossFit menu.
“That 17-minute workout is the worst pain I’ve ever felt,” said Lilbourn, Mo., native U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Rahkeem Daniels, Kunar PRT administrative assistant, after completing the Fight Gone Bad event. “I was hurting from my neck down afterwards. If someone told me you couldn’t get a workout in less than 20 minutes, I would tell them to try this.”
The event comprised five exercise stations where members rotate every minute, taking only a 60-second break after completing all five, then continuing for three rounds.
Stations included throwing a 20-pound medicine ball up 10-feet against a wall, a sumo deadlift high-pull of 75 pounds, a 20-inch box-jump or, in this case sandbag-jump, a push-press of 75 pounds and the row machine.
Members from the FOB congregated around the outdoor setup to cheer the athletes on. But, according to the participants, it wasn’t about doing better than everyone else, it was about personal improvement and helping out wounded warriors and cancer survivors, even so far from home.