Marine Team Challenge - Dozens of hard-charging Marines put their physical strength to the test during the first-ever Marine team challenge aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Apr. 27, 2018. The Marine Corps Community Services Semper Fit sponsored a 3-mile obstacle course to measure the Marines strength, endurance, marksmanship and strategy.
“We want to keep them motivated, we want to build camaraderie, and we want to teach them to work together in stressful situations,” Whitney Hendrix, coordinator, Fitness & Health Program, Marine Corps Community Services, explained.
Five teams of Marines signed up for the challenge, with one being an all-female team who called themselves Wonder Women.
“We’re going to give it all we got, we’re going to cross the finish line no matter what the scoreboard says, and we’re out here to show that we can do it,” said 1stLt. Delaney Bourlakov, adjutant, MCLB Albany.
Like the other teams, Bourlakov had no clue of what to expect from the course.
In fact, the participants got a brief rundown of the events just a few minutes before the challenge started at 8 a.m.
From Covella Pond to the Skeet Range, the three-mile course included five different events like flipping tires, performing pushups and even pushing a high mobility multi-wheeled vehicle nearly 50 yards.
And with four all-male teams, the Wonder Women were sure to strategize.
The entire team was decked out in candy paint, and if that didn’t boost their spirits, one member even had a speaker stashed away in a camelbak blasting motivating music throughout the challenge.
Through blood, sweat and tears, every team gave it their best shot.
“Nothing but teamwork, motivation…teamwork is probably the best thing, I mean this is what Marines do,” Sgt. Brian Harrington, administrative clerk, Military Personnel, MCLB Albany, of Rapid Retraction team remarked.