D1 Training Athens Squatober Challenge Fundraiser
Training Hearts While Training Bodies
If you are in any way involved in fitness, then you likely know about the Squatober Challenge held each October for knee-bending enthusiasts worldwide. The challenge ends with a personal record (PR) party to celebrate max gains on Halloween (10/31). D1 Training coaches and staff get members in on the fun by setting big goals for the month and celebrating big wins when it’s over.
One D1 team has taken Squatober to a whole other level by furthering the challenge for good. They have created a fundraising program around Squatober to benefit local charities, the idea of which aligns nicely with D1 Training’s core values.
Fred Munzenmaier is one of the owners of D1 Training Athens, in Watkinsville, Georgia, and said the idea came to him from his experience in high school.
“When I was in high school, our booster club could never raise enough money, so when our summer training was over, we’d host a lift-a-thon to raise more funds. That’s where the idea came from.”
They started using the Squatober Challenge to raise money two years ago, but it was last year that it really took off.
“Last year, we said, ‘Let’s have everyone do this.’ We had 100 participants, and about 50 people bench and deadlift, in addition to squat, to get pledges.”
The results were better than expected. The first charity to be chosen as recipients of the challenge were Chosen for Life Ministries, a foster care and adoption support ministry. This year, they have added Hope 139, an Athens area home serving at-risk mothers and their children, founded by D1 Athens member, Shelly Tanner.
“Last year’s Squatober Challenge donation was sufficient for 11 adoption grants,” Munzenmaier said. “I get teared up thinking about it. Me and my business partners feel very strongly about supporting life and have compassion for people in difficult situations. We just know that this is the work we need to be doing.”
Munzenmaier and his partners want to train people’s hearts, not just their bodies. He said he had a coach who taught him that if we trained people’s hearts, the rest would fall into place.
And let’s not forget the fun D1 members, coaches, and staff are having during the entire Squatober Challenge. For Munzenmaier, he enjoys the structure, the grind, and the energy at the PR Party.
“We have everyone come in on the Saturday after so we can all be here at the same time,” he said. “The energy of the PR Party is amazing. Everyone is maxing out and supporting each other. There are people maxing out who have never played a sport, never really lifted before. Having your teammates shouting for you, just like a Division I environment, that’s the D1 experience. Plus, there’s food and games, and entertainment.”
When asked what members would say is their favorite part of Squatober at D1 Athens, Munzenmaier says it’s all about community.
“I’ve been doing this a really long time and can see how much people value community. They really want to be a part of something,” he said. “It means a lot to them to do things together. When we do things like this here, it makes them never want to leave.”
Munzenmaier’s only hope for the future of the challenge is that it gets bigger and better. He says he’s a jock, turned strength coach, turned gym owner. If he and his team can make such a huge impact on their community, others can too.
For more information on how to turn Squatober into a fundraiser next year, feel free to reach out to Fred Munzenmaier at D1 Training Athens. To donate to their causes, reach out to Chosen for Life or Hope 139.