Endure: Just Finish pushes competitors and fundraises for veterans

GREEN BAY, WI – (WGBW & WISS) – Fitness enthusiasts and people who like to challenge themselves physically and mentally will compete in a 24-hour fitness challenge called Endure: Just Finish. Creator and organizer Tad Taggart, a Green Bay area dietician and fitness coach says reactions to the idea vary.

“I get two reactions when I introduce this event,” said Taggart. “I get ‘You’re out of your mind,’ or ‘Sign me up!’”

Taggart said there is nothing like this event anywhere around the area. It is a 24-hour event that will have people completing different fitness challenges starting at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, July 19th. It will end at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, July 20th.  This event is described as a 24-hour crucible designed to test your physical and mental fortitude. Inspired by the grueling physical training endured by members of U.S. Special Forces, this event will see participants discovering their limits and pushing past them. The goal of the event is to “just finish.”

Endure: Just Finish

Taggart said the goal is to not sleep during the event.

“Usually the first response is ‘You’re out of your bleeping mind,’” Taggart said. “I tell people, even if you can’t get through all of this. You can still join us. It’s not an exclusive club. But if you really want to get out of this event, what is meant to get out of this event, the goal is to stay through the whole thing.”

There will be periods of rest worked into the challenge schedule. There will also be some snacks available, but Taggart advises participants to plan for or bring their meals for the event. 

Some of the physical and mental challenges participants will have to overcome during the challenge include rock climbing, boxing, self-defense, a 10K run, axe throwing, and an escape room. That is only a sample of the tests of strength and will. Taggart said the escape room comes after 23 hours of exercise.

“They just have hints and clues, kind of hidden,” said Taggart. “There’s puzzles to solve, and you’ll use different parts of your brain.

The event is limited to 30 people. The majority of the events will be at Western Racquet and Fitness Club, but other things like rock climbing will happen at the Titletown campus. Taggart said he is trying to capture the feeling one gets when going through a crucible such as the training given to members of military special forces.

“It’s designed to be tough,” Taggart said. “I never claimed for this to be a perfect replicate of the special operations training. So let’s make that clear. This is tough. This is not going to be that kind of tough.”  

Fundraising for Hooah

Proceeds from the Endure: Just Finish challenge will benefit Hooah Wisconsin, a veterans group whose mission is to eliminate suicide with a proactive approach to the overall wellness of service members, veterans, and their support systems.

Taggart says he is trying to capture a little of the military experience with the Endure: Just Finish challenge.

“A lot of these people, when they join the Marines. They join the military. And they go through some sort of crucible like this. They realize their true potential. And that’s where you see the change,” said Taggart. “As a personal trainer and dietician, I see so many people with so much more potential. That’s part of why I made this event.”

“But the idea behind this event is getting people to do something that they never thought they could do! Honestly, even the people that want to do this, deep in their gut, they’re thinking that this is crazy. Embracing something that you don’t think you can do, and you do it anyway.”

Taggart said he wants people who are all in and want to challenge themselves and the people who are nervous about it too.

“I want those people. I want people that are like, ‘I’m not sure I can do that 10K.’ Sign up. We’ll see what happens. This is not a race. You are not competing against your fellow teammates. You are together. That 10K? I don’t care if you walk it, but we’re all finishing together. We’re all getting across that finish line together. That’s also a component of it – is building that community and teamwork.” Taggart said.

The cost to sign up for Endure: Just Finish is $299 per person. Sign up as a team of 2 or 4 people for discounted rates for each additional team member.