Sylvan Lake’s Kevin Hughes took his passion for physical fitness to a new level when he did over a thousand burpees this past weekend to raise funds for Movember. For every dollar donated, Hughes agreed to do a burpee on Dec. 9. He raised around $1,300 in donations, relying heavily on Facebook to campaign for donations.
Both cancer and mental health are issues close to Hughes’ heart. Hughes was inspired by the passing of one of his best friend’s mothers due to cancer as well as the passing of one of his friends from suicide.
Instead of simply growing a moustache or a beard, Hughes wanted to take it to the next level as a personal trainer, even agreeing to add weights to his body for the first 300 burpees he performed.
Within the first week of starting to collect donations he received around $180 so he wanted to up the ante. He agreed to wear a fifteen pound weighted vest for the first 300 burpees. After that, donations started to pour in.
Hughes himself performed 1, 177 of the burpees and then had help from some of his clients and friends in the community to perform several sets of 12 for him. It took him a total of one hour and fifty-seven minutes to complete the burpee challenge. Hughes said he was sore for about three days after finishing the challenge.
“I was surprised at what was the most sore. It was my calves and elbows,” Hughes share of his recovery experience.
He was also surprised at how fast he got the burpees done and was also grateful to his clients for assisting him with a few sets.
Hughes is focusing his passion for physical fitness by furthering his studies kinesiology to help him become better as a personal trainer.
“I want to get further into studies of the human body and the physiology behind it. I just find it fascinating,” he said of his continuing journey as a personal trainer.
myra.nicks@sylvanlakenews.com
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