For the latest stop in his "Just Train on the Go" series, Ron "Boss" Everline did something a little different. This time, he went to Branson, Missouri to compete against professional first responders in the Firefighter Combat Challenge.
The challenge is a brutally tough 2-minute event that mimics what firefighters actually do on the job—running up stairwells; pulling, dragging, and hammering heavy loads; and controlling powerful firehoses—all while weighed down by hot, unwieldy protective gear.
Everline is a Cellucor-sponsored athlete and celebrity trainer, but he's never seen anything like this challenge. Coaching him was Clarence Parks, a pro firefighter and multiple-time event champion. He's not a professional athlete, yet he's one of the toughest, strongest guys Everline has ever raced.
"There's being fit, and then there's firefighter fit," Parks said. For this high-stakes job, toughness is nonnegotiable.
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Everline was able to call on his years of fitness training and mental strength to hold his own, but barely—and he didn't even wear the 30-pound oxygen pack the pros carry in the challenge and on the job. He gained an entirely new appreciation for the training that goes into being a firefighter.
"I thought I had respect," he gasped as he finished. "My level of respect went to a whole other level."
Fitness isn't just about looks. Sometimes it isn't an end goal, but a beginning—a prerequisite for doing great things outside the gym. Whether it helps you carry someone out of a burning building or just helps you play airplane with your kid, being fit lets you be an everyday hero and make a difference in people's lives.
Put your strength to use! Learn how to become a firefighter or sign up for the Firefighter Combat Challenge.