Earlier in April, Athlon Health and Fitness hosted the San Luis Obispo Pushups for Charity Challenge. Fire fighters, police officers, airmen, and average Joes and Janes competed to do the most pushups in 90 seconds. Each participant raised at least $50 for the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit that helps injured service men and women (read more about the event in this week’s lead sports story).
Staff Sgt. Ryan Cushing finished the competition with an impressive 68 pushups. As a health nut, this isn’t the first fitness event Cushing has participated in. The 28-year- old regularly joins fitness events, whether pushups or 10K runs. But the activity isn’t merely for personal fitness.
Cushing told the Sun he does it “just to know that I’m giving back, whether it’s changing somebody’s life by becoming more fit or supporting the Wounded Warriors Project.”
Fitness is more than a hobby for Cushing, who’s been a certified personal trainer for more than three years. He works part time at Phantom 2 Fitness on Vandenberg Air Force Base and, more importantly, trains airmen for the Air Force fitness test. The training lasts for four to six months, three times a week.
And Cushing wasn’t the only airman doing pushups for charity; many of his students competed as well.
“I’ll plan one weekend event a month for my students,” Cushing said.
This article appears in Apr 28 – May 5, 2011.
