MANCHESTER – The First Responders Fitness Challenge, held by the Manchester Township Police Department, raised more than $3,500 for local charities June 5.
Fire, military and law enforcement participated in the competition. The teams competed at Harry Wright Lake.
The funds raised will benefit Ava’s Voice and the Manchester Township Police Foundation Fund Inc.
“The First Responders Fitness Challenge is one of the most intense physical competitions and only highly-trained athletes can successfully complete it,” Chief Lisa Parker said. “First responders must commit to maintaining a high physical standard for their entire career, as the nature of their job demands it. Everyone who participated should be proud of their accomplishment and sincere dedication to fitness.”
The title of “Fittest Police Department” went to Stafford Township, which beat out 16 other four-person teams. West Windsor took second and Ocean City third.
The exercises included a team vehicle push, barrier climbs, deadlifts, ground-overhead, yoke carry, farmers carry, kettlebell swings/burpees, individual tire flip, individual pole flip, sandbag walking lunges, sandbag carry, firehose drag, rope climbs, bear crawls, and 200 yard swim, all over a five-mile trail run.
Ava’s Voice is named for Manchester resident Ava Bullis, who has Usher Syndrome, an incurable condition that causes hearing loss and deafness, vision loss, and can affect balance. Those with the syndrome are often born with moderate to profound hearing loss, and develop an eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa (RP), which initially causes night blindness but eventually narrows the field of vision so those affected have tunnel vision. It affects more than 400,000 people worldwide and 50,000 in the United States.
