Bevins Endurance Challenge

US Army veteran Lee Woody participates in the Strength4Strength Yoke Challenge to benefit Mission 22. Veteran mental health, suicide prevention and awareness.

The Strength4Strength Yoke Challenge was started in 2022 as a charity event to raise money and increase awareness for mental health issues by having two- to four-person teams carry a heavy strongman yoke continually for five hours. The idea was that carrying the weight of the yoke would symbolize the weight that millions of individuals around the world carry each day while suffering from anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges.

The Veteran Strongman Association has partnered with Strength4Strength to create the “Bevins Endurance Challenge,” named in honor of Richard D. Bevins, a U.S. Army veteran who lost his mental health battle and died by suicide in 2021. He served in the 1st Battalion 52nd Infantry Regiment U.S. Army’s Mechanized Infantry as a tank commander with Lee Woody, one of the VSA’s founding board members.

The VSA has created this event as an opportunity for anyone to host a fundraiser to benefit our organization and to honor others who have fallen.

FAQs

  • The Bevins Endurance Challenge is a strongman-style event where a team of participants take turns carrying heavy implements such as a yoke, sandbag, a pair of farmers handles, kettlebells, or dumbbells for a total time of two hours and twenty minutes. The event emphasizes the power of a collective effort, that there is strength in unity, with teams sharing the burden of carrying a heavy weight.

  • A Bevins Endurance Challenge is intended to raise awareness of mental health issues and raise money for the Veteran Strongman Association. It also symbolizes the use of physical strength to "give strength to others" and build a community around the shared goal of supporting mental health initiatives.

  • Any active or supporting member of the Veteran Strongman Association is eligible and may register to participate in a Bevins Endurance Challenge.

  • Yes. Every team member is required to be an active or supporting member of the Veteran Strongman Association. There is no cost for membership.

  • No. Our recommendation is to use an implement, object or multiple objects that each member of the team can carry. Some participants may be stronger than others, so we encourage teams to organize themselves with individuals of similar strength and physical ability.

  • While the original Strength4Strength Yoke Challenge used a strongman yoke exclusively, we are adapting the Bevins Endurance Challenge to allow teams to choose the type of implement(s) they want to use. We suggest the following pieces of equipment:

    - A yoke

    - A pair of farmers handles, kettlebells, or dumbbells

    - A sandbag

  • No. We understand that due to the different locations and spaces available, teams may be limited in how far they can carry an object. So, the distance could be a 50 feet course inside a gym or 150 feet outside in a parking lot. What matters more than the distance is the length of time, which must be the standardized two hours and 20 minutes for every event.

  • No. Teams do not have to carry the same object. Participants are allowed to mix and match and divide the time between different implements, but we do recommend that the time be split evenly.

    For example, if a team of two wants to carry a yoke for the first hour and ten minutes, then switch to a sandbag, that’s perfectly acceptable. Each participant would carry the yoke for 35 minutes, then carry the sandbag for 35 minutes.

  • We recommend teams of two, four or five participants (maximum) per team to allow individuals to share an equal amount of time, sharing the burden of carrying the implements/objects.

    For example...

    A team of two would carry a yoke, with each participant carrying it for an hour and ten minutes.

    A team of four would carry a sandbag, with each participant carrying it for 35 minutes.

    A team of five would carry a sandbag, with each participant carrying it for 28 minutes.

  • We recommend each participant carry the chosen implement, such as a sandbag, for one minute and then transfer it to the next team member.

    However, teams may choose to shorten or lengthen the duration that each team member carries the object.

    What matters is that each team carry the implement, or different implements, continuously for two hours and 20 minutes.

  • While we strongly encourage teams to share the burden equally, the answer is no.

    We realize that some team members may be stronger than others. So, if a team member is not able to carry an object for as long as the others, they should carry the implement as long as they can before handing it off to the next participant.

  • Yes. While one participant is taking their turn carrying the implement, the other team member(s) will rest.

  • It has been estimated that an average of 22 veterans a day die by suicide in the United States; therefore, we felt the symbolism of the numbers two and two together as two hours and 20 minutes was relevant for this event.

  • Any active or supporting member of the Veteran Strongman Association may register to host an event at a gym, fitness facility, or other location once they have received VSA approval.

  • Yes. We ask each participant to pay an entry fee as a donation. A $25 minimum is requested, which is a tax-deductible contribution to the Veteran Strongman Association, but the specific price of the entry fee is determined by the event host.

  • Please submit a request to host a Bevins Endurance Challenge fundraiser by sending an e-mail to mike.lohman@vsastrong.org with the following information:

    • Your name

    • Proposed date and time

    • Location of the event

    • Estimated number of participants

    • Proposed entry fee