Most weeks on Friday we perform some sort of Benchmark WOD, whether that one of the named “Girl” WODs or a “Hero” WOD.  In addition to those from time to time we perform our own in house named Benchmark WODs.  This weeks benchmark is without a doubt the most heart felt, and probably the most personal benchmark we’ve ever had.  This weeks benchmark is “Julie,” which is named after our very own Julie Kennedy.  I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work with Julie at Mountainside Fitness before we owned the doors to Surge Elite Performance & Fitness.  Then we we’re extremely blessed when Julie decided to become one of the founding members of the Surge Family.  For those of you who have been lucky enough to spend time with Julie know that she has one of the biggest hearts of anyone you could ever meet.  She has one of the most infectious sarcastic personalities and an outlook on life that can turn your day from being down in the dumps to having your head in the clouds.   In addition to that Julie is one of the hardest working, dedicated athletes I’ve ever met.  According to her she was never an athlete, however she could make some of the most complex movements, such as the Snatch and Overhead Squat look effortless and beautiful (Yes I just said exercise can look beautiful).  Throughout her time at Surge Elite Performance & Fitness we’ve performed many WODs that may not have been ideal for her, but no matter what the task was she would always bite down and give it everything she had.  With the out come most of the time being a smile on her face, but that was also because that’s the type of person Julie is. 

Most of you know that Julie lost her battle to cancer last fall. We were able to spend time with her the week before she passed and  Although she was very sick, she is still able to bring light to the situation and made us all laugh. She has somehow managed to keep her positive attitude and spirit through everything that she is going through.  Julie was definitely one of a kind, she is without a doubt one of the biggest reasons why Surge Elite Performance & Fitness is the way it is.

It was over two years ago that we first did this WOD, this WOD was formally known as the “Air Force” WOD. This is one of the few WOD’s that we saw Julie  for a moment lose her positive attitude. The overhead squats were not going well for Julie or Court for that matter. Court was having wrist issues and Julie was just having an off day. Needless to say they were both in tears by the end trying to get through it and thinking they may never finish the WOD every time I said burpees. However, they both pushed through, finished and showed us what they were made of. I know for Court it is a very special memory that she shared with Julie and she is very upset that she can’t do the WOD.  As you go through this WOD remember to smile and find the positive in the WOD and take a few minutes to share your favorite memories of her. Please keep Julie and her family in your prayers. Also please remember to wear sunscreen and get yourself checked.

Essentials

Performance

Competition