VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — These folks are training to collectively lift 1 million pounds for a good cause. I’m Beverly Kidd in the Strawbridge neighborhood of Virginia Beach to find out what motivates them.
“We had a client whose child had cancer, and that really touched me,” said Chris Baggett, owner of Fully Alive Personal Gym.
So much so that Baggett came up with the Million Pound Challenge to help kids battling childhood cancer.
“The Million Pound Challenge is a community event in which 10 people form a team and collectively lift 1 million pounds,” he said.
Money raised goes to the Roc Solid Foundation, which builds playgrounds for children with cancer.
“Having kids — and parents — facing that, I can’t imagine. That’s why it’s important to me to give back to an organization that does a great job for these kids,” Baggett said.
Beach resident Brian Davis, who has taken part every year, said the cause is personal.
“I used to work in education for a lot of years, so I always love doing stuff for kids, and my mom passed from cancer, so it’s meaningful in that way. I see how hard it is to fight cancer, so anything we can do to help is super important,” he said.
Last year the team raised $3,000. This year the goal is $10,000.
“Our goal this year is to get more gyms involved, because what I know about the fitness community is that everyone gets into this industry because they want to help people,” Baggett said.
The event can be grueling.
“It’s pretty intense at times, especially around the hour or hour-and-15 mark when you’re starting to get tired, but the sense of accomplishment at the end is totally worth it — and especially doing it for the Roc Solid Foundation. It’s great,” he said.
Baggett and his Fully Alive Personal Gym crew are lifting the spirits of kids who need to play more and worry less — and they are positively Hampton Roads.
If you or your gym would like to get involved in Million Pound Challenge, you can contact the Fully Alive Personal Training studio at https://fullyalivept.com/
The event is December 13th.
