HydroWorx Underwater Marathon Proves There Are No Barriers to Helping Special Ops through Technology
They will be young. They will be old. They will be scarred, some inside, some out. Most will fly in from all parts of the country. Above all, they will be determined. As participants in the world’s first underwater marathon, they will show the world there is no barrier to staying fit… or helping heal America’s wounded special ops forces.
When HydroWorx CEO and co-founder Anson Flake talks of the first Underwater Marathon, set for Sunday, September 9, 2012, at Troeg’s Brewery in Hershey, Pa., his demeanor is sincere, yet decidedly urgent, as he explains the motivation to undertake this momentous event: “We wanted to do something to give back to the special forces men and women who have given us so much of their bodies, minds and souls. As the maker of underwater treadmills, we decided to put together an underwater marathon, and with the assistance of The Andrews Institute and Athletes’ Performance, we will.”
Continues Flake, “The Eagle Fund, a designated fund within the Andrews Institute Foundation, enables wounded warriors to rehabilitate at the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and Athletes’ Performance using proven technologies including water therapy and conditioning on a revolutionary
HydroWorx 2000 Series pool with adjustable underwater treadmill floor depth. It is to this Fund that we’re giving all monies raised.”
But how does a man or woman run underneath the water? It’s surprisingly easy, even for those without running experience.
Each runner will be submerged to the middle of his or her chest in one of three pools equipped with portable HydroWorx X80 underwater treadmills. In this aquatic environment that’s been heralded and utilized by recent Olympic medalists Galen Rupp and Mo Farah, as well as scores of professional athletes, medical experts and fitness fans around the world, any person can maintain a comfortable pace and compete against the clock.
Throughout the day-long Underwater Marathon event, runners will complete 5Ks, 10Ks, half-marathons or full-marathons, as they previously determined when they registered. With over 200 participants representing 20 corporate teams, the day promises to be memorable. Of the registrants, a significant number of military men – active duty and retired – will participate, including the former National Commander of the American Legion (and a Naval veteran of the Korean War), Dominique DiFrancesco.
Now retired, DiFrancesco may be considered a “senior”, but is planning to commemorate his over five decades of service to his country by running on an underwater treadmill!
Major sponsors of the Underwater Marathon include Barrier Reef and Cleveland Brothers. Other companies sponsoring the event are Highmark Blue Shield, ISTECH Incorporated, Drayer Physical Therapy Institute, Pinnacle Health, RLS Construction Group and McClure Company.
About Eagle Fund
The Eagle Fund, a designated fund within the Andrews Institute Foundation, was formally developed by the Andrews Institute and Athletes’ Performance—Florida in 2010 to support wounded warriors in their pursuit to return to active duty. The mission of the Eagle Fund is to provide fast access to best-in-class restoration, training and education to participants by removing the financial barriers preventing them from achieving the highest level of performance imaginable. For more information, visit https://www.AthletesPerformance.com/EagleFund.
About Athletes’ Performance
Athletes’ Performance, created by Mark Verstegen in 1999, is the industry leader of integrated performance training, nutrition, and physical therapy for elite athletes with world-class facilities in Phoenix, AZ; The Home Depot Center, near Los Angeles, CA; The Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida; and at Fieldhouse USA in Frisco, TX. Athletes’ Performance has trained many of the top champions in sport, including five #1 overall NFL draft picks (2006 – 2010), the German National Soccer Team, and countless champions in baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, basketball, and hockey. For more information, visit https://www.AthletesPerformance.com.
About Andrews Institute
Located minutes from Pensacola, Fla. in Gulf Breeze, the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine provides world-class care and service for the athlete in everyone. More than 40 physicians and medical experts provide top-notch service in specialties ranging from orthopaedics and sports medicine to ophthalmology, joint care and neurology, and is accessible to everyone. It is the world’s only facility offering surgery, diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation, research and athletic performance training all on one campus. The one-of-a-kind center focuses on the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries while using the expertise of nationally and internationally renowned orthopaedic surgeon James R. Andrews, M.D. Dr. Andrews is best known as physician to some of sport’s greatest professional athletes. For more information, visit https://www.TheAndrewsInstitute.com.
About HydroWorx
HydroWorx, based in Middletown, Pennsylvania, offers a wide range of underwater treadmill pools, portable underwater treadmills, and peripheral products and services. Over 15000 athletes and patients a day utilize HydroWorx technology to recover from injuries and health conditions. More information about HydroWorx can be found at
https://www.HydroWorx.com.
Media interested in attending the event are encouraged to contact Michele Reber to schedule a time to attend.
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This post was last modified on January 22, 2016 9:58 am