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Alpha Warrior challenge arrives

  • Published
  • By By Senior Airman Melissa Estevez
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The Alpha Warrior challenge obstacle course came to Scott July 18 -19 with professional athletes Kevin Klein and Brittany Reid facilitating the event.

The athletes teamed up with the Air Force Services Activity as part of an Air Force effort to focus on Comprehensive Airman Fitness—the physical, mental, social and spiritual fitness needed to achieve readiness and resilience.

“We know that the four pillars are important to the Air Force and it thrives off of that,” said Reid.

“It is important for the well-being and success of Airmen and thus the overall mission.”

Reid began her fitness journey growing up in a military family and weight-lifting. She was first featured on American Ninja Warrior in 2016, where she was a top female competitor and got the call back to compete again this year.

This challenge uses gear similar to that of the American Ninja Warrior series called “battle rigs” and “stations.”

These multi-station devices enhance functional fitness training in individuals and teams. Battle rigs help participants’ train their muscles to work together interdependently while they make strategic choices along the course.

Klein said, “We like to get the Airman out here and challenge them in a way they might have never had before. It’s a real fun thing that we get to do. I think fitness is incredibly important ... and with that fitness is a discipline—discipline that we carry over in our everyday lives. It’s the same discipline that we take to the work place and the same discipline that we take back home.”

Klein is one of only a few who have advanced to the finals of American Ninja Warrior, three out of four seasons.

Part of the event included group PT with the athletes, demonstrations, practice time and an Airman’s challenge.

The challenge is part of a larger program that includes a 15-region competition starting in September with the top male and female qualifiers from each region guaranteed to compete in an Air Force-wide competition at the Alpha Warrior Challenge course in San Antonio in November.

The 10 male and 10 female competitors with the fastest times from across the Air Force will join the 30 regional champions for a total of 50 Air Force athletes earning a spot in the final competition.

The winners for Scott’s Alpha Warrior challenge were Martin Walker and Bizzy Mellado in first place, Emmanuel Galdean and Michelle Lulu in second place, and Jacob Pech and Ashley Shirley in third.