CAF Members Re-Take On 4x4x48 Challenge

The David Goggins 4x4x48 challenge returns this year on March 4-6 and once again, a group of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members will take on the challenge as a group, all in support of Soldier On! Most of the group that participated in the challenge last year returns to take it on again!

"This event was very important to me; it was an answer to the frustration and challenges most of us are facing with COVID-19," said Maj Michael Duong, Logistics Officer. "This 4x4x48 challenge was my way to say 'You don't get to do this to me, I'm taking it back and I own it.' In some ways, this was reclaiming my freedom, by doing something incredibly difficult." Taking on this challenge reinforced his belief that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Michael approached Lt Stephane Rodrigue, RCEME Officer, to join him in the challenge. As Stephane had a PTSD diagnosis after a tour in Afghanistan, he agreed to the challenge in an instant. "The support needed is constant, and I was lucky enough to be able to get through," he said. "Some of our sisters and brothers do not." Thinking about the work Soldier On does for his ill and injured peers helped him power through the challenge last year and motivated him to return this year.

When Capt Shelley Simms, Logistics Officer, heard about the challenge, she immediately offered to be part of the team. "Knowing this challenge would help others was a strong motivator and a key reason why I was able to push through physical pain and mental blocks during the 48 hours of running," she said. "I am capable of more than I ever thought possible and that I am mentally and physically stronger than I give myself credit for."

For Capt Rebecca Wheaton-Sparkes, Intelligence Officer, participating in the challenge is also a gift as it falls around her birthday. "I rarely lack the motivation to achieve my own fitness goals; I get my drive by motivating and inspiring others," she said. "If I am the example for others to follow, failing is not an option!" She hopes that she can once again inspire others to get moving with her this year, as she loves connecting with people all over Canada for this cause dear to her.

Maj Teesha Wheaton-Sparkes, Logistics Officer, was fully on board to join her wife Rebecca in adding this challenge to the list of passions that they share together. "My wife and I are David Goggins fans, so this was a no brainer for her; if there is a challenge out there, she will 100% commit, especially if it involves empowering people and supporting their goals," she said. "We have overcome many challenges together, and with our competitive nature and never ever quit mentality, this was something I would support her in until the end, even if I had to crawl my way through it." Finally, in supporting Soldier On, a program that she has personal connections with and that she cares deeply for, Teesha had no shortage of reasons to do this challenge!

Click here to donate to their efforts in this year's challenge.