I can’t believe it’s over. As I write this, my fingers and every muscle in my body is still feeling sore from the Ohel OXC Xtreme Challenge that I participated in this past Sunday.

Our team, the Garden State Warriors, had an amazing time despite the rainy weather. Led by our amazing coach Chani (Carol) Teigman, our team ran, climbed, lifted, hiked, carried, crawled and jumped our way through all 36 stations of the 5-mile course around and through the beautiful Camp Kaylie in Wurtsboro, New York. Perhaps the most challenging obstacle for me was the crawl through the narrow, dark, mud-filled water tunnel halfway through the course. I don’t think I’ve been this dirty and muddy since my toddler years. ‘ The course took us two and a half hours to finish and it was an exhilarating feeling at the finish line. Our team stuck together throughout the challenge and no one was left behind.

Did I mention the mud? There was a lot of it and it was all over the place. It did not come off easily from clothing and bodies alike.

What a bonding experience! Our team came together in February and had been preparing and training week after week for this challenge. Some of us were strangers when we started but have since become fast friends. It’s hard to believe it’s behind us now. I am not sure what the next challenge for me will be, but I’m already counting down the days to get together with this super group of people to compete again in next year’s Ohel OXC challenge.

All in all, I and my teammates were proud to participate and raise $35,000 for an amazing organization—OHEL—which serves children and adults with disabilities.

Last but not least, my sincerest thanks on behalf of our whole team to Chani on the love and devotion and support she showed each one of us.

Special and final shout-out to my Garden State Warrior team members! They are:

Adeena Csillag, Tamar Edell, Lori Frank, Chava Gamss, Michael Gutlove, Linda Hoffman, Dena Kinderlehrer, Pam Newman, Michael Packer, Tutu Packer, Ken and Debbie Rutz, Alissa Selevan, Ariel Solomon, Aliza Solomon, Chani and Jason Teigman, Andrew Teigman, Aliza Zeffren, Tali Zelenetz, Pam Scheininger, Shana Goldberg, Lauren Hirsch, Sari Schiff and Shalom Shushan.

By Dena Kinderlehrer

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