What do get when you have three personal trainers being trained by their clients—who have been waiting all year for the opportunity—all in the name of charity to benefit wounded Vets? You get a huge success!
For the second year in a row Pure Physique, a private personal training studio in Shrub Oak ran their 'Train the Trainer' fundraiser to benefit Hope for the Warriors©. The event which took place last Saturday, Nov. 17 at Pure Physique’s training studio attracted a large crowd that got to witness 'how the pro's do it' as the trainers were assigned a number of exercises that were performed to exhaustion and beyond, or as members of the training studio describe it, "The Pure Physique way."
Attendees bid a dollar amount on every repetition trainers Beth Colucci, Sarah Garcia, and owner Mike Lipowski performed and some took part in the Trainer Challenge where they went head-to-head with the trainer on an exercise of their choice with the studio biding on the challenger while the challenger bid on the trainers. The event brought a lot of excitement, laughter, and camaraderie, but most importantly it raised over $3,000 for Hope for the Warriors©.
This year the aim of the fundraiser was to raise enough money to grant two wishes to two wounded Veterans through H4W’s "A Warrior’s Wish©" program. The program is aimed at funding life-gratifying endeavors or fulfill a desire for a better quality of life.
One wish was for a kayak for a USMC Sergeant injured in 2010. After going on his first kayaking trip he fell in love with it, having found it very relaxing, and immediately saw the personal benefit long-term in regards to his recovery. By delivering on this soldiers wish he will now be able to train for and enter competitive kayaking races.
The second Wish was for a bicycle and cycling equipment for a USMC Lance Corporal injured in 2011. He was introduced to cycling as part of the Warrior Athlete Reconditioning Program (WARP). He found a passion for the sport and wanted to have his own equipment so he can continue to compete without using borrowed equipment. As a result of the 'Train the Trainer' fundraiser both Vets will get to have their wishes fulfilled.
