By: Aaron Smothers

On Thanksgiving 2006, Capt. Gerard Petroni s!ered a massive stroke "hi#h

$ed to ma%or &rain &$eeding. Petroni had previos$y &een an a#tive, hea$thy
man "ith a&ove average ath$eti#ism. 'ore than that thogh, Petroni "as a
(ami$y man "ith devot (aith.
A(ter months o( &eing inadi&$e, na&$e to eat, and na&$e to "a$k, Petroni
"as asked &y his son )rik i( he #o$d right one thing on a pie#e o( paper that
he "as ho$ding, "hat "o$d it &e. Petroni ro$$ed over and s#ri&&$ed *never
+it,.
-ever +it.
.e didn/t. Petroni "o$d go on to resme a hea$thy $i(e (or three more years
&e(ore he "o$d &e #a$$ed p &y the 0ord he served so righteos$y.
1-ever +it.1
That2s "hat 3a#ksonvi$$e native Tim 'as$ine to$d me this past Satrday at
3a#ksonvi$$e Bea#h2s anna$ -ever 4it 56 &ea#h rn7 "hen asked ho" he
managed to do 80 sit7ps in a minte2s time.
)rik Petroni, son o( Capt. Petroni and (onder and dire#tor o( -ever 4it,
#reated the event in 2008 in his (ather2s $ikeness. .is goa$: to diminish the
possi&i$ity o( disease throgh $iving a hea$thy $i(esty$e and &y taking on a
attitde o( resi$ien#e.
'as$ine, 95, heard o( Petroni2s story and it instant$y str#k a nerve.
1See : have dia&etes, so my (rame o( mind "as to rest easy and avoid
pshing my &ody too m#h. : ;gred : "as pretty m#h done "ith physi#a$
a#tivity. Then : heard a&ot -ever 4it,1 said 'as$ine.
'ore than %st a 56 rn, -ever 4it has an array o( physi#a$ events (or a$$
genders and ages. T<:=)-T, Para#hte Team, and >or$d2s 0argest Bea#h ?oga
are %st a (e" o! o( a $ong $ist.
'as$ine, ho"ever, is partia$ to the >arrior Cha$$enge7 the psh7p, p$$7p, sit7
p e@travaganAa.
1:2ve &een #oming here every year sin#e 20BB and this a#tivity is the reason
"hy. :t tea#hes #ompetitiveness and it makes yo go that e@tra mi$e. -o one
"ants to $ose man,1 'as$ine %oked.
'as$ine is %st one o( hndreds that sho"ed p this "eekend, (rthering
Petroni2s dream and, in some #ases, their o"n. 'as$ine rea$iAes that i( it
"eren2t (or -ever 4it, he himse$( may very "e$$ have, "e$$, +it.
1: advise anyone, doesn2t matter the age, to give -ever 4it a go. ?o #an
rea$$y $earn to appre#iate $i(e ot here.1