Wilmington FD To Participate In Sunday's BFit Challenge At TD Garden

WILMINGTON, MA — For once, the best athletes at TD Garden this weekend might not be NHL or NBA players.

On Sunday, the arena will play host to the 7th annual BFit Challenge, which is sponsored by the Boston Bruins Foundation and will feature many local first responders and some civilians running a grueling course of steps and concourses, while raising money for charity.

Currently, 1,587 individuals and 230 teams are signed up for the event, which features three different races — EMTs and civilians, military and police, and firefighters — beginning at 9 a.m.

A team of 10 Wilmington firefighters is scheduled to participate. The department has raised the most money at three of the six BFit Challenges thus far. The Wilmington firefighters also won the fitness challenge one year.

This year, the Wilmington firefighters will be raising money for three charities: 100 Club of Massachusetts, which cares for the families of fallen police officers and firefighters; the New England Fire Fighter Cancer Fund; and 22 Mohawks, which raises awareness of the issue of veteran suicide.

Those who wish to donate to individuals and teams can do so online.

The Wilmington Fire Department also has a special connection to the BFit Challenge because recently retired Wilmington firefighter Charles Taylor helped to develop the event along with the Bruins Foundation.

Taylor, who used to help train Wilmington firefighters, told Patch that he became friendly with former Bruins strength and conditioning coach John Whitesides when the Bruins used to practice at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington.

When Whitesides began working with the Bruins Foundation, he asked Taylor to help develop the BFit event.

Taylor, who spent 27 years as a firefighter, will be participating in this year's challenge on a team that also features his son Zachary, who is a current Wilmington firefighter.

"I'm the elder (on the team), 58 years old, and some of these kids are in their 20s and fresh," Charles Taylor said.

Taylor said the participants take the BFit Challenge seriously, and that many firefighters are disappointed they are no longer allowed to run in their gear, which added an extra 70 pounds.

Taylor said that elite runners can complete the challenge in 12 to 14 minutes, while it takes others 20 to 22 minutes.

"Basically, it's every step in The Garden, and up a floor and run around the whole arena, climb to another floor and run around the whole arena again. This year, we added another floor to that and some more distance. It's not easy," Taylor said.

Taylor added: "Guys love the challenge and the competitiveness of it, but they also like the camaraderie (with the other participants)."

In addition to raising money for several charities, Taylor said highlighting the value of fitness among first responders, especially firefighters, is another important element of the event.

"Since I got to the (fire) department in 1995, guys have become more focused on fitness, and we have a great gym at the station," Taylor said. "That's what people don't see, guys working hard in the gym to become better firefighters. Fitness is a huge part of it. As I always tell firefighters, 'if you can't save yourself, you can't save anyone else.' You have to be strong physically ... and mentally."