SHALIMAR, Fla. — As the United States celebrates its independence this week, one military wife in Shalimar has made it her goal to honor the people who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.<\/p>\n
31 days. 31 workouts. 31 heroes. Starting July 1, personal trainer Kristen Sexton will launch her third-annual “Freedom Fitness Challenge.”<\/p>\n
It’s a series of daily workouts, each honoring a fallen service member.<\/p>\n
The exercises can be done from anywhere on the “everfit” app.<\/p>\n
“Before you enter the workout, you’ll click start, and it’ll say, “Read this first.” It’ll have the story of that hero, a little bit about them, some fun facts, and their story,” Sexton said. “Then it’ll also tell you, while you’re doing the workout, the meaning of each exercise.”<\/p>\n
“Let’s say it’s a squat thruster. Maybe this person was always lifting people up and was very helpful and then the reps,” she added. “Maybe it was six reps for him passing in June or something like that. They’re all very different, and each exercise has a meaning behind it.”<\/p>\n
For 18-year-old Ava Meadows, this challenge is personal.<\/p>\n
“My dad, his name was David Meadows, and he was an EOD officer in the navy, and he was a two-track diver,” Meadows said. <\/p>\n
Her father passed away six years ago this week.<\/p>\n
“He was great. I loved him so much,” Meadows said. “We had a really close relationship, and that’s just my best friend.”<\/p>\n
“Kristen is taking my dad’s story and creating different workouts to fit his story,” she added. “One of them is doing flutter kicks because he was a diver. There was one that’s like an explosive squat jump thing. That’s for him, he ID’d an explosive team.”<\/p>\n
Sexton says clients like Ava and her own family inspired this mission.<\/p>\n
Her husband recently retired after 20 years as an F-35 maintainer and instructor at Eglin Air Force Base.<\/p>\n
“When you’re doing a workout for a purpose, it just means so much more,” Sexton said. <\/p>\n
She says living in a military community inspired her to create a challenge that gives back.<\/p>\n
This year, $20 from every registration will be donated to the “Believe With Me” foundation, which supports children and families of fallen service members.<\/p>\n