Since the COVID-19 crisis began, we have worked hard to supply our community with at-home workouts, simple and nutritious recipes, advice on how to boost your immune system, tips for building mental strength, and more information that we hope is helping you persevere during this challenging period. But we wouldn't be able to do this if it wasn't for those on the front lines, keeping us safe and working tirelessly to put an end to this pandemic.

We'd like to share a few stories of those in our community who are making a difference. You are the true heroes in all of this. From our community of 10 million Spartans, we say thank you to all essential workers and first responders for everything you do.

'Every Single Day There Is Another Huge Climb'

Freya Dittrich is a Spartan SGX coach, a mother of four, and an emergency room doctor in Westchester County, New York. She shared a little bit about her current experience, what she's seeing on the front lines, how she's coping and persevering, and how she's using the Spartan mentality for strength.

Thank you, Freya.

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'This Is a Pretty Scary Time for All Of Us'

Joshua Fiore won the maiden Spartan Ultra World Championship in 2017 in Iceland, and he's currently a physician assistant at Concord Hospital in Concord, New Hampshire. He wants to thank all of the healthcare workers, and has a message for those of us who are staying home: Keep doing what you're doing!

Thanks, Joshua.

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'This Is My Job, Which I Love'

We received this wonderful, inspiring note from Sheena Hauf, a Spartan brand ambassador and nurse based in Billings, Montana. (It has been edited slightly for clarity and brevity.)

Thank you, Sheena.

AROOOO!

Hey guys, 

Thank you so much for all you guys are doing at this time. I know it is just as hard not being able to put on a race as it is for us to not be able to race. My name is Sheena Hauf. I am a Spartan brand ambassador, OCR lover, and a nurse in Billings, Montana. I am currently working in the walk-in clinic, and our world has been interesting. 

For the most part, people are staying home, but we are seeing more people coming in with symptoms. Montana is a huge state with not so many people, so our spread of the virus has not been as crazy as other states. Montana is known for its social distancing. Big Sky Country! During this crisis I have seen the best in humanity and some of the ugly sides as well. As for me, I am keeping a positive attitude.

This is my job, which I love, and anything I can do to help people and get this country back to "normal,"  I'm in.  I will continue to show up to work, do my best to care for my community, and also keep training for those future Spartan races. Again, thank you guys for doing what you are doing. #Spartanforever 

Doing Our Part to Help

Spartan has donated 2,000 ponchos to Hospitality Health ER Longview, an emergency room in Longview, Texas. Hospitality Health ER Longview is currently operating four outdoor clinics. We thank them for their hard work and dedication.

We've also donated 100 Spartan headbands to 10 hospitals and healthcare facilities in the Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston metro areas. Nurses are currently wearing masks for up to 12 hours at a time, and the masks dig into their ears. We're hoping these make their day a bit more comfortable and tolerable.