Syracuse Firefighters Running Tough Mudder For Wounded Warrior Project
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
SYRACUSE – When Brian Simmons’ son-in-law, Spc. Danny Hagan, returned from the war in Afghanistan last year wounded, organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project helped him get back on his feet.
To let others know about Wounded Warrior and other organizations like it, Syracuse Volunteer Fire Dept. Fire Captain Simmons and five others, four also Syracuse firefighters, are participating in the Tough Mudder June 16 in Attica, Ind., what is called the “Badlands.”
Besides letting people know about the Wounded Warrior Project, the event also raises money for it.
“Some of the guys on the fire department got interested in doing this,” Simmons said. “Once I found out they were supporters of the Wounded Warrior Project, I myself decided it was personal and I myself wanted to do it. Members of the department embraced this and are helping me out with it.”
On Oct. 21, Hagan was wounded in action south of Kandahar, Afghanistan, during the seventh month of his second tour. He is still recovering from his injury at home, with his wife, Andrea, and their son, Colton, who is just under 2 years old.
On June 16, Simmons, along with Brian Richcreek, Constance McKee and her son Cameron, Janelle Fancil and Matt Dunithan, will travel down to participate in the Tough Mudder.
“It’s a 10-12-mile course set up for us,” Simmons said. “Twenty-five military-style obstacles with plenty of mud. It’s a personal challenge thing. It helps with team building, I’ve heard.”
Besides the team going down to participate, Simmons said their families, including Hagan, are going to support and cheer them on.
“I’ve been running and exercising since December,” Simmons said about his training for it. “This was suppose to take part in March, but the weather was so strange they set it back.”
Some of the obstacle course takes place in cold water, and the weather in March was suppose to be cold. On the day the Tough Mudder was supposed to be held, it ended up being in the 70s.
Simmons said he and his team have been running, preparing for the Tough Mudder, separately. They may, however, get together this coming week to prepare for it.
For anyone who wants to support the Wounded Warrior Project in Simmons’ name for the Tough Mudder, the website link is www.raceit.com/fundraising/donate.aspx?event=6906&fundraiser=r2167792
“I don’t care how anyone donates to it, I just want people to be aware of organizations out there like the Wounded Warrior Project,” Simmons said. “It’s a good organization. It’s not government funded, it’s privately funded. They do things for wounded soldiers to help them get back into life. Organizations out there like Wounded Warrior help people like Danny.”
Winning the Tough Mudder is not the priority, Simmons said.
“It’s not really an issue, it’s more of the benefit of the challenge,” he said. “The top 5 percent of finishers can go on to the World Tough Mudder. That is a 24-hour race to see how many times teams can go through the obstacle course.
“This is not to benefit Danny and his family directly. They have already benefitted (from Wounded Warrior). I just want people to know this organization is out there and has done a heck of a lot for soldiers to get back on their feet. I’m doing it to thank the people who help people like my son-in law,” Simmons concluded.
For more information on the Tough Mudder, visit www.toughmudder.com
For more information on the Wounded Warrior Project, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org
