WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — These cadets in Wilkes-Barre's Kirby Park are warming up for a morning workout.
Their goal doesn't necessarily revolve around time, but building character.
"All these young cadets are aspiring to be law enforcement," explained Trooper David Peters. "Character's a big thing. It's what they should be putting out there in the community and representing their community. So they're going to honor the memory of Travis Manion today, who was killed in Iraq in 2007."
So, seven times, these cadets will run 400 meters and do 29 air squats with motivation from the folks at the Travis Manion Foundation.
"We work with veterans families of the fallen to empower the community and the next generation to help them become leaders," explained Claire Romine, senior coordinator for the northeast for the Travis Manion Foundation.
"So I can definitely do the squats. That's no issue, but the run. I feel it by lap four, lap five, and be like, 'Oh god, I'm tired,'" said Joseph Davis, a cadet from Wilkes-Barre.
The workout is only part of the programs through the foundation, it also holds lectures and train mentors around Manion's signature saying.
"If not me, then who? If I'm not going to do it, who's going to do it? At the Travis Manion Foundation, we really believe in If not me, then who," added Romine.
These cadets take it to heart as they honor those who stepped up before them.
"We're also honoring some of our fallen heroes with this workout. We're honoring Trooper Joshua Miller. And we're also honoring David Lee, who was a combat Army medic in Vietnam. He died April 22, 1969, at the age of 19," added Trooper Peters.
It took cadets and mentors about 20 minutes to complete the workout, and they made sure to complete it together.
"Definitely because when people start falling behind, we're all like, come on, let's go keep pushing yourself," added Davis. "Like no matter what we all were like, we just keep going and keep pushing; we're already halfway there; let's keep moving no matter if our legs feel like jelly or tired or run, and we just kept pushing."
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