More than 30 people joined forces for LifeThyme CrossFit’s first ever Barbells for Boobs fundraising event on Saturday, October 5th and helped raise more than $4,500 for P.A.L.S and the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre.

The Hamilton gym hosted a youth and adult workout challenge for members of its CrossFit classes and a coaches’ burpee challenge for its instructors to raise the money.

LifeThyme owner Henry Adderley said: “We are thrilled to have been able to participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month by raising money for these two charities who fight cancer every day of the year. Thank you to Coach Deborah Atwood for coming up with the concept and to all our members and friends who donated or participated in the events. Every year we do fundraising efforts and this is one of the most successful efforts we have had.”

Young members of LifeThyme CrossFit’s popular CrossFit Kids program for ages 5-16 started the day off with a 30 Burpee Challenge. Participants donated funds for the charities in order to take part and then cranked out 30 burpees as fast as they could.

Their parents and other adults then took part in a challenge mixing two of CrossFit’s notorious Girl workouts, Annie and Grace, which required them to complete 150 double unders and sit ups plus 30 clean and jerks with weights up to 135 pounds.

Mr. Adderley said: “These Girl workouts are amongst the toughest CrossFit workouts. I am impressed that the community agreed to tackle two of them put together and donate money to the charities for the chance to take part.”

The third event of the day turned out to be the most popular; a coaches’ burpee challenge where coaches at the gym collected sponsorship to the tune of $1 per burpee which they were then required to complete.

Said Mr. Adderley: “The response to this was amazing. The idea of getting coaches to do burpees for a dollar apiece, or in the case of Head Coach Ty Darrell for 25 cents each, took on a life of its own and raised almost $3,500. Two of the coaches had to do about a thousand burpees each but fortunately some members jumped in and participated helping them across the finish line.”

• Press release from LifeThyme CrossFit