Monitor staff
Cancer takes many different shapes, and Renee Plodzik is fighting back the same way.
Three years ago, Plodzik started hosting Fit4acause bootcamp, “as a way to engage the community in a donation-only workout to raise money for patients with cancer,” she said. Last year, she began the Fit4acause Triple Challenge, a family-friendly, non-competitive modified triathlon, as another way to generate funds to fight cancer. The event drew 150 participants and raised $10,000.
On Aug. 18, Plodzik will be hosting the second Fit4acause Triple Challenge at Memorial Field at 8 a.m. There are already more than 215 people registered for this year’s event, and Plodzik has added more modifications to the “triathlon.”
The original Triple Challenge consisted of a 5-mile bike ride, 5K run/walk and a five-circuit bootcamp, which replaced the swim portion of a traditional triathlon. This year, participants can also do yoga as one of their three events, and the bike course has 3-mile and 5-mile options. Entrants can participate in just two events, or one, or they can bike, run, bootcamp and then cool down with yoga.
“What I love about this event is it encouraged participants to try something different,” Plodzik said. “Many people dig their old dusty bike off to participate.”
Plodzik is a local nurse practitioner who is also a two-time cancer survivor. She runs the Fit4acause bootcamp on Sunday mornings at Memorial Field from May to October.
The event is family-friendly, but children must be 10 years old or older to participate in the bike ride, and anyone who wants to join the bike ride must bring a helmet. Bicycle technicians from S&W Sports will be on hand to help with pumping up tires and safety checks.
The event begins with cycling at 8:10 a.m. followed by the 5K run/walk at approximately 8:30 a.m. After that, the bootcamp stations will be open – sandbag squats, push-ups, battle ropes, sled drag, wooden walls to hop over and a tire flip. But don’t worry, there will be helpers at every station, and if you can’t do an obstacle you can just walk on to the next one.
The cost is $45 for adults, $16 for children ages 10-15 and free for children under 10. There will be a live DJ, photography, videography, raffles and healthy, post-event breakfast options from sponsors Live Juice, Granite State Granola, Fresh Roots Nutrition, Bagel Works and more. Tina Poirier from 43 Degrees North Athletic Club will be leading the yoga, and Bay State Physical Therapy will be on site for stretching and release therapy.
To register, go to Fit4acause2019.eventbrite.com. Or you can email rplodzik@crhc.org for more information.
August 13, 2019
This is a fantastic event! Can’t wait!!