The Give Team

When a CEO's workout session sparks a movement, magic happens—and in Orlando, that magic is transforming young lives through the grit and determination of obstacle course racing. Coach Brad Mason and Assistant Coach Akim Jean have built The Give Team into a powerhouse of inner-city youth who are shattering limits, crushing burpee records, and proving that with the right mentorship and community, there are no obstacles too big to overcome. This is the OCR story you need to know.

Let’s not talk about privilege. Instead, let’s talk about disadvantages. The fact is some kids start off with more disadvantages than others. Fortunately for inner city kids in Orlando, the OCR community is all about empowering others to help themselves over, under, and through obstacles on their journey to success. That’s what Coach Brad Mason and Assistant Coach Akim Jean are doing through The Give Team.

The Give Team is an obstacle course racing team composed primarily of students from the New Image Youth Center located in the inner city Parramore neighborhood in Orlando, Florida, a neighborhood once named among the most dangerous in the US. Weekly workouts develop a strong team and strong team members with a focus on developing leadership and goal setting skills.

We first learned about the Dream Team when Spartan CEO, Joe De Sena worked out with the group on his way to Jacksonville. That workout inspired a focus on burpees and an eventual challenge in which each member of The Give Team performed at least 4,000 burpees in 24 hours, and the coaches executed 10,000. The team is now training to break the world record for burpees executed in a single day.

Look for the The Give Team at your next OCR - especially in Florida. Check out their website for info about sponsoring the team, becoming a guest coach, or working The Give Team 15 into your next workout.