BattleFrog Obstacle Race
May 31, June 1
Georgia International Horse Park
1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers
Register: www.battlefrogseries.com/atlanta/
Now is your chance to find out if you have even a little of what it takes to be a Navy SEAL. Registration is open for the BattleFrog Obstacle Course Race, an event focusing on endurance (sort of) and fun (mostly), designed by veteran Navy SEALs. On May 31 and June 1, the Georgia International Horse Park will be transformed into a compound of obstacles incorporating nets, ropes and water with names like hell box, storming the beach and HOOYAH! If you already have raised the white flag, don’t. The event features courses of different distances and levels designed for ages as young as four. Plus, a portion of the company profits goes to four of the foundations that support injured SEALs or the families. “We don’t want people thinking this is only for those who want a grueling, punishing workout,” said Don Mann, a retired Navy SEAL and the chief operations officer of BattleFrog Inc., which launches its obstacle course series in Conyers before moving on to other cities. “There will be crying but only because people are so happy with their performance.”
Q: What can participants expect at the event?
A: When athletes and competitors show up, they will see a large military helicopter with former SEALs who will repel to the ground and do a mockup demonstration of what SEALs do. As the competitors race, the helicopter will follow them along the courses. SEALs, including those from the Atlanta area, also will be on the ground to help motivate the athletes.
Q: Will the SEALs yell at them, like in the movies?
A: Actually, it will be the opposite. There are different competitions, including the Tadpole, a 1K; the Bullfrog, a 5K; and the BattleFrog, a 15K. If you are between the ages of 4 and 70, there is a 95 percent chance you can finish one of these races.
Q: Do you have to be in great physical shape to participate?
A: It would help for the 15K, with over 30 obstacles, to be in good shape. You don’t have to be a fulltime or even a part-time athlete to participate in the others. There are people whose sport is watching TV who get up off of the couch and participate mostly for the experience. They go to the race, walk or jog with their friends, get completely muddy and have a great time.
Q: So Conyers is your inaugural event?
A: Yes and it is going to spoil us. We will never have a venue as nice as the International Horse Park. The first time I was there was with the SEAL team doing security for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. We are very, very fortunate that we can hold our first event there.
Q: Some of the money raised from the event supports the SEALs?
A: We are taking profits from the company and giving them to foundations that support SEALs and their families. We also will have Navy recruiters at our events.
Q: What do you need to cut it as a real life SEAL?
A: When you step into SEAL training, you become a recipient of the toughest military training in the world. The SEAL instructors have a very unique way of pushing the trainees – those hoping to become Navy SEALs. Most of the guys break down and either quit or get hurt. Most importantly, you have to have the attitude that anything is possible and that you will not give less than 100 percent. We will display this SEAL philosophy at our BattleFrog events — only in a somewhat kinder and gentler way.
Q: Why are people so enamored with SEALs?
A: It wasn’t that way when I came into the military just after the Vietnam War. For the most part, what SEALs do is not disclosed but some high profile missions have come out in the media, including one where the SEALs shot and killed three Somali pirates, which became the movie Captain Phillips. Of course, the biggest one was the killing of Osama Bin Laden by SEAL Team Six. In some ways, it is a shame for other Special Operations forces that the SEALs get so much attention because all of the services are doing great things in defense of our nation.
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