Students Take Part In Presidential Fitness Challenge
By Lexi S.
Every year over 4 million youth participate in the Presidential Physical Fitness Challenge, testing their ability in strength, endurance, agility, speed, and flexibility. Throughout the past 12 years, The Family Foundation School has participated in this extensive test.
There are two possible awards to be earned through this challenge: The Presidential Physical Fitness Award and The National Physical Fitness Award, but anyone who participates receives a Participant Award.
Each student is required to participate in five events, in which some have alternative selections. In order to achieve the Presidential Physical Fitness Award they must achieve in the 85 percentile in all five of the events, and in order to obtain the National Physical Fitness Award the student must receive at least the 50 percentile in all five of the activities.
Throughout the school as a whole, 24% of the students received Presidential and 35% received National. Christian H., who ran the fastest mile with a time of 5:15 said, “Being on the soccer team and playing sports for fun helped me to have the needed endurance for the mile run.” The students who got presidential will be receiving a presidential seal and emblem.
The five activities for the challenge include the following:
Curl Ups/Partial Curl Ups
Each student is tested on their abdominal strength and endurance. The measurements are based on how many curl ups the student can complete in one minute, or how many partial curl ups the student can complete in total.
Shuttle Run
The shuttle run is used to demonstrate the student’s speed and agility. The student has to run 30 feet from the starting line to a pair of blocks, pick one up, turn, and run back, and then repeat with the other block.
Endurance Walk/Run
The objective of the student in the endurance walk/run is to complete a mile distance in the shortest amount of time that they can. This test measures the student’s heart and lung endurance.
Pull Ups/Right Angle Push Ups/Flexed Arm Hang
To receive the Presidential Award, students must complete the pull-ups or right angle push-ups. Their goal is to complete as many as they can. This tests the student’s upper body strength and endurance. To qualify for National, students can participate in the flexed arm hang. Each student’s goal is to hold themselves above the pull up bar for as long as they can.
V-Sit Reach
To assess the students’ flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings, they take part in the V-sit reach. It requires the student to sit on the floor, with feet straight out about 12 inches apart, and reach as far past the toes as possible.
