Shaun Gardner Takes on 24 Hours of Murph to Raise Money for Veterans
After Shaun Gardner left the Army in 2011, he wanted a way to give back. He found what he needed when he met Phil Palmer, the founder of WarriorWOD, last November.
WarriorWOD aims to heal veterans’ mental and physical wounds through exercise, nutrition, and mentorship. Gardner knew immediately this was what he was looking for, so he signed up to be a mentor. In the WarriorWOD program, mentors are called “Battle Buddies,” but the term encompasses more than a simple title.
[Related: The Murph CrossFit Workout, Explained and Scaled for Every Experience Level]
- “It’s normal in the military to always have a battle buddy,” Gardner tells the Morning Chalk Up in an interview. “Nothing is ever done by yourself. You’ve always got somebody else with you for safety, accountability, and all that important stuff.”
Every quarter, WarriorWod starts a new class, each of which is six months long.
- “Once they get accepted, they get assigned their nutrition coach, Battle Buddy, and they figure out what gym they’re going to attend,” Gardner explains.
The Battle Buddies are rarely located physically close to each other, but there’s a strong connection nonetheless.
- “You hop on a phone call and shoot the shit to get to know them a little bit,” Gardner says. “And then you’re just there for them, encouraging them — you’re somebody who can help hold them accountable, especially when they’re like getting back to the gym.”
24 Hours of Murph for Vets
Being a Battle Buddy for WarriorWod is just a tiny part of what Gardner does to aid veterans. Doing the hero WOD Murph at the end of May is a rite of passage for CrossFitters, and Gardner has taken it to another level.
- Gardner remembers how it began: “I got the idea back in 2017. I started CrossFit in 2015 and was new to Murph, but two years later, I wanted to do more than that. I set a goal of completing 10 rounds of Murph that year.”
It went well, and Gardner decided to up the ante the following year: “My goal that year was to do 24 hours of Murph, and I wanted to hit 20 rounds.”
- “I just missed that number; I got just over 18 rounds. Then I thought, well, shit, now I have to do it again to hit that goal, which I did in 2019. I got 20 rounds that year.”
Gardner took a break from multiple Murphs, but now, as a part of WarriorWod, it felt like the perfect time to give it a go again.
He hopes people will support his efforts and, in so doing, support veterans suffering from PTSD by sponsoring him through WarriorWOD.
- “It’s five years later, and I’m five years older. Let’s see if I still got it,” Gardner says about his 2024 goals.
Planning for the day is almost as tricky as the execution, and Gardner’s past in the Army plays a vital part.
- “You’ve got to figure out how you will hydrate, what your sets will be, how many breaks you’re taking, and when you’re taking the breaks,” he says. “There are many things to consider, and then you must plan for all the contingencies.”
Gardner is no stranger to challenges and constantly seeks to push his physical and mental limits, which is precisely why he has set his goal to complete 21 Murphs this year in 24 hours.
- “The ugliest thing in life is wasted potential. So many people ‘grow up’ and quit on life, accepting mediocrity like a death sentence,” Gardner says. “What else do you have to do in life besides improving yourself and subsequently improving the lives of those around you?”
How You Can Help
Starting on Sunday, May 29, at 9 a.m. ET, Gardner will begin his 24 hours of Murph at CrossFit Raeford in Raeford, NC. Any athlete can join him during the 24-hour period to knock out their annual Murph. If you’re not doing the workout this year, you can also sponsor his journey here.
Featured image: @thewarriorwod / Instagram