APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Appleton School District held its 7th annual Fox Valley Tough Kid Challenge Saturday at Highlands Elementary School.
Kids were able to run through an obstacle course that is over a mile and a half long navigating various challenges.
The kids described the course as, “a lot of fun.”
“Last year when they got done they talked their grandma and grandpa into setting up an obstacle course at their house so they have been practicing all year for it,” says parent Kirsti Vanden Wyngaard.
It was the Vanden Wyngaards’ second year participating in the Fox Valley Tough Kid Challenge and they say they will be back again next year.
“They have a blast. It’s so fun, this year they wanted more friends to come with them so we added some to our crew,” says Vanden Wyngaard.
The course is designed by physical education teachers with a goal to teach the kids life skills.
“Coming out of the pandemic you can look at any numbers whether you are talking about mental health or you are talking about inactivity, it’s like how can you help them to teach them how to preserve and overcome, and what does that look like,” says The Health and Human Performance Program Leader, Mikki Duran.
It costs $15 to participate. Proceeds from the event go towards the Appleton Area School District to enhance the physical education programs.
“In schools we are always looking for money to try to fund these types of things,” says Duran.
Many of the kids here say that the martial arts activity is their favorite part of the course.
“We want to try to make sure it’s something that also challenges them so it is typically things that they go over, under, or like zig zag through,” says Duran.
This year’s event is expected to have record breaking participation of around 1,300 kids.
“If I had to rate it out of one out of ten it would be infinity and beyond,” says a participant.
The course used to just be for ages five through 12, but 13 and 14 year old’s were added this year.
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