MacDill builds camaraderie: Gladiator Challenge

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jenay Randolph
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The purple challenges are designed to challenge service members' physical fitness and build a stronger relationship with the Combatant Commands on base. Members of Short Fitness Center hosted its third purple challenge, the Gladiator Assault Challenge, Jan. 24, 2014 at Lewis Lake on MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

This is the first time that Team MacDill has participated in the Gladiator Assault Challenge. The challenge is a 9.6 mile mix of outdoor obstacles and combined maneuvers planned to test endurance, speed, strength and agility with runs, crawls and jumps through the wet, mud and cold.

"Teamwork is the main concept, which supports the wingman policy as well," said Staff Sgt. Samantha Ferrell, 6th Force Support Squadron coordinator of the Gladiator Assault Challenge. "The morale and physical fitness of our fellow Airmen, soldiers, Marines and seaman are important to our team at the Short Fitness Center, therefore, we try to support and provide programs that encourage teamwork and physical fitness."

This event is one of four purple challenges here at MacDill, which includes the Dash N Splash, H20 Challenge and the Purple Challenge 411. The challenge consisted of three 5k runs, barricades, mud pit, bear crawl, human wheel barrel, latters, and rock climbing along with various physical fitness exercises. The event was open to all active duty members on base.

"Our challenge offers a form of recreational activity, fitness, encourages social interaction and communication," said Ferrell. "Each obstacle was uniquely designed to test your mental and emotional fitness and push you to your limits."

There were five teams of four that had to complete the challenge together, as one. The participants were not allowed to progress to the next obstacle until the entire team finished.

The first place team consisted of members from the 6th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, who finished the challenge in one hour and 50 minutes. Trophies were presented to the first, second and third place winners.

"It was fun because it built camaraderie and forced us to work together. From my experience, this is the first base that has conducted events of this nature," said Tech. Sgt. Stephanie Roseboro, 6th AMDS bioenvironmental engineer. "This is my second challenge and win. This challenge is deemed the most difficult to me because it required endurance, along with the other attributes of physical fitness."

The next purple challenge will be the Purple Challenge 411 which will be held on April 11, 2014. For more information, please contact the Short Fitness Center at 828-4496 or visit www.macdillfss.com.