Challenges for warriors
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on July 30, 2017 1:45 AM
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James Harris, 4, practices on the kid's course while waiting for the competition for his age group to begin Saturday.
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Christopher Hall moves from one grip to another on the Alpha Warrior obstacle course Saturday at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Participants got two tries to complete the course.
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Jakai Cox, 4, reaches to the next monkey bar while competing in the children's Alpha Warrior Challenge Saturday at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. The event featured a large adult course and smaller children's course and groups were split up based on age.
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Bernard Matthews starts out on the Alpha Warrior obstacle course Saturday at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Participants got two tries to complete the course.
Jeremiah Bouknight and Dillon Knighton checked out the Alpha Warrior obstacle course set up in a hangar on Seymour Johnson Air Force on Saturday morning -- the children's version, that is.
The friends pointed out, though, that they were not in the little kids category, open to 4- through 8-year-olds who would be judged on the number of challenges completed.
The 10-year-olds had their eye on competing in the 9-12-year-old category, where winners would be determined by the best times.
"I'm pretty sure I'm going to beat him," Jeremiah said, smiling.
The boys have been friends for awhile and will be classmates in the fall, when both attend Wayne Christian School.
"They always play and work out," said Jeremiah's mother, Dawnetia Bouknight.
Joslyn Knighton said she was excited to watch the event and was there to cheer on her son as well as her 7-year-old daughter, Isabella.
"I like doing different things," Isabella said.
After finishing up her event, she admitted it had been fun.
"I liked the monkey bars," she said.
Rebekah Bonilla, an Alpha Warrior pro who competed on the popular TV show, American Ninja Warrior, gave a quick demonstration of her prowess as well as last-minute instructions to adults and youth participating in the event, which has been taken to military bases over the past year.
Willie Black, stationed at SJAFB, started out in support of his son, Julian Jones, 14.
"My kid wanted to do this so I figured since he signed up, I had to," he said. "We have been working out together, running."
He admitted he was a little nervous about the intense competition, but glad to be there for and with his son.
"(This is) something fun to try on a Saturday," he said.
Dave Blair drove in from Fredericksburg, Va. with son, Alex, 13.
The teen said he hadn't really trained, except for some push-ups.
"This was a surprise for him," Blair said. "This morning at 4 o'clock, when I said, 'Get up, we've got to compete.'"
Emma Swenson, 12, was eying the course with friend, Aly Yerkes, 11, friends since kindergarten.
"I used to watch the show a lot," Yerkes said. "It's really fun."
"We watch it together," added Swensen.
In addition to the TV show, Yerkes said there is a DefyGravity fitness and sports facility in Raleigh that has a lot of similar obstacles. She said her interest in this type of activity began when she was about 8 years old.
Both said they were most looking forward to the rings, with their ultimate goal being to complete the course with a good time.
"I have been working on how fast you can go," Yerkes said.