Two Canadians and an American are set to embark upon a most unusual physical, and perhaps psychological, endurance challenge.
John Witzing, 43, an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer from the city of Peterborough Ontario, and personal trainer Josh Chessman, 28 are now at Lake Tahoe California where they’ll be joined by a former U.S Marine, Brian Chontosh.
This evening the three men will put themselves into three closed shipping containers and run on treadmills for as great a distance as they can in 24 hours, with the target of the equivalent of 150 kilometres.
The shipping containers at the Spartan Life World Championships in California. The three men will isolate themselves inside and run on treadmills for 24 hours deprived of sensory perceptions beyond their own breathing and sound of running on the treadmill. (John Witzing,-Spartan Life-via Post Media)
The treadmills have no motors and are “powered” only by the motion of the runners in order to simulate actually running on solid surface.
Inside the containers, they will be deprived of all sensory perception, no light, no sound other than themselves, no idea of time. They’ll also have to contend with heat and cold with daytime temperatures around 24C, and during the night an expeced 10C or less.
They’re calling the event “Locked and Loaded 24” and they hope to not only challenge themselves but also the notion of human limits. It’s also for a good cause as they are raising funds for two charitable organisations dedicated to helping veterans, Wounded Warriors Canada, and the Reveille project.
Witzing says the effort is also to encourage those experiencing mental and emotional health issues. He has lost three colleagues to suicide, and both Chessman and Chontosh also know people dealing with mental health issues.
The endurance challenge is part of the Canadian’s “Whiteboard Project” described on the Facebook page as “The Whiteboard Project explores the topic of human potential and the people who’ve broken through the barriers to achieve their goals despite the obstacle
Quoted on the Spartan Challenge website, John said, “We see our challenge as symbolic of what someone living with depression, anxiety, or something bigger, is potentially going through, Suffering in silence, not being able to see the end of the road, and maybe feeling that with every step, this darkness and isolation is all there is.”
He adds, “really what we want from doing this challenge, is for those dealing with mental health and life hardships to know that, despite what the struggle is, there are people and resources to reach out to”.
The trio begin their 24hr challenge this evening at 5pm Eastern Time
