Michael Pysher 41 SlapShot

Our leadership team has been thinking and talking a lot about our mission. That is, why we do what we do. For me, being a 1FQ is not about burpees, push-ups or how fast we all can run our miles. It is, simply put, how we can connect our physical fitness with our fitness as men, fathers, husbands, and members of our community. For our region it’s how we further the mission of F3 by aligning our first F with Fellowship and Faith.

When I think about why I came out 4 years ago on a cold March morning to run and do push-ups with a bunch of strangers it’s not the “why” of coming out that first post. The more important questions are; why did I come back, why did I stick around, and why did I ultimately accept the 1FQ role.

Part of that why is of course physical fitness. We all of us get a rush out of doing this don’t we? The feeling of accomplishment that we’ve run more miles in one morning (or two) before 6am then other men will run in an entire week. That feeling of camaraderie when we complete an Iron Pax workout and fist bump each other at the end of our shared suffering.

But that’s not the only reason I keep coming back and I’d argue it’s not the only reason why a lot of your keep coming back.

We do what we do here in the Fort and in 1F because it’s more than burpees, it’s more than pushups its about how we prepare and deal with all of our obstacles day in and day out. By taking on the physical we make ourselves mentally, emotionally, and spiritually stronger in the process. Because none of us do this alone. That sense of togetherness extends from fitness to the fellowship aspect. From there, we start to accelerate our impact in our greater community.

Whether it’s the races we run to raise money for charities, or the men of our group who have taken it upon themselves to lead community initiatives ranging from 5k’s to men’s shelters, to adopting a highway.

The bonds we’ve formed in the gloom build the foundation for us to have a larger and greater impact than any of us could’ve accomplished by ourselves.

In that spirit, your SLT team is dedicated to continue to accelerate as a region and increase our impact on our community one merkin, one burpee, and one Catalina Wine Mixer (it’s a real exercise trust me)  at a time.

So, what is the answer to the question Why? Well part of the reason is because it’s fun of course. Another is because of the sense of community we’ve built with each other. But for me, what keeps me coming out week after week, month after month, is a simple phrase that in this one shot we have in life we don’t really have to do any of this……. We GET TO DO IT.

Thank you to all who share the gloom with us, to all who push their mental and physical selves and most importantly to those who take that shared suffering and focus it on how to answer that question Why?

With that said Can’t wait to see you all out there in the gloom accelerating all 3F’s One burpee at a time

Michael Pysher 41 Slapshot