May Challenge Workout “Kendra”

Kendra was a long-time GAIN member who passed away last year after a battle with cancer last year. She was Clem’s best friend, could do over 10 pulls up and ran multiple marathons every year. She was amazing, and inspiring to everyone she met.

I wanted to come up with a workout we could do to honor her memory.

At first, I imagined something with pull-ups and 375-pound deadlifts—to match her state powerlifting record—but that felt a bit excessive for the masses.

Then I thought back to Memorial Day 2023.

We had done “Murph” for a couple of years in a row. If you’re unfamiliar, Murph is a well-known workout created in honor of Navy SEAL Michael Murphy. It includes a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and another 1-mile run, often done with a weight vest. Gyms across the country take it on each year as a Memorial Day tribute.

But in 2023, Kendra was in the middle of treatment, and another round of Murph wasn’t happening. So she sent me a different workout—another one created for a fallen soldier—called Jerry. I had heard of it, appreciated its simplicity, but had never done it.

JERRY
For Time:
1-mile Run
2000m Row
1-mile Run

Sgt. Major Jerry Dwayne Patton, 40, died on October 15, 2008, during High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) training while assigned to Army USSOCOM in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife, Molly, and sons Chad, Cody, Chase, and Connor.

On Memorial Day 2023, I took on Jerry with a handful of others, including Kendra and Chris Poulin. It was the right challenge.

Last year we ran it as our monthly challenge in May, and we’ll be doing that again this year.

Join me in celebrating her strength, her spirit, and her enduring impact.

Get involved!

—Justin Miner