Antioch Community High School gym classes participated in the Marine Corps Fitness challenge on Feb. 24, 2022. During the class, students participated in a variety of activities that pushed them physically and offered a fun workout for students to engage with the Marine Corps.
In an email sent to the Physical Education Department Chair Teri Klobnak, the Marine Corps said the U.S. Marine Corps Fitness Challenge is designed to raise awareness regarding the need for today’s students to lead a physically fit, nutritionally conscious and healthy lifestyle. This one-day event occurred to motivate students to be the healthiest version of themselves. Multiple high schools in the Chicagoland area competed for the title of “U.S. Marine Corps Fittest School” from Feb. 14 to Feb. 25; ACHS joined the list of schools participating in gym classes on Feb. 24.
The schedule for the event was as follows:
1. Students were introduced to the Marine Corps Fitness Challenge and the Marine guest leaders for the day.
2. Students were then split up into teams of 10 to compete against their peers.
3. It was then time to get Marine Corps Fit.
Students participated in a variety of activities:
- Buddy carry/wheelbarrow relay
- Movement under restriction relay
- Bear crawl to half court
- 10 push-ups
- Bear crawl to the opposite baseline
- 10 burpees
- Sprint back to the original baseline
- Weighted container shuttle run
- Chin-ups and team building
4. Marines then spoke to the students and encouraged them to maintain a healthy lifestyle, emphasizing the importance of hard work, teamwork, confidence and leadership.
5. Class concluded by Marines awarding Marine Corps Fit T-shirts to the team with the lowest overall time.
Students were more than excited to participate in the challenge during class. All different gym classes participate together in the activities.
“[The challenge] was exhilarating,” senior Emily Boslet said. “It requires a lot of mental, physical and emotional strength.”
Boslet participated in the challenge during her second-hour physical best-advanced class.
“It was a lot more intense than my average workout,” Boslet said.
The challenge offered students an opportunity to try a new workout while also learning how to have a healthy lifestyle. Participating in the event allowed ACHS to join some of the “fittest schools” in the Chicagoland area, alongside partnering with the U.S. Marine Corps. It is clear that the event benefited students in numerous ways, including having them participate in new workouts, teaching them what a healthy lifestyle looks like and educating students about the Marine Corps.
