Workout for clean water

Right now, 783 million people do not have access to clean water—but one event is trying to change that, little by little.

WOD for Water will have its third annual event at Troy University this Saturday. WOD stands for “Workout of the Day,”a CrossFit term for daily exercises.

This event spawned from the Birmingham organization called “Neverthirst”, which provides clean water for those in India, South Sudan and Cambodia.

“Not only do they meet the urgent physical needs, but also the spiritual needs. They also share the gospel of Jesus,”said Jason Jones, director of WOD for Water.

WOD for Water is similar to a 5K, where people pay to run, but here, people pay to workout.

“Because of CrossFit Ilium, every penny we earn goes to Neverthirst,”Jones said.

The first year of WOD for Water brought in $16,000 and it built 6 wells. It had an impact on 2,500 people. The second year resulted in $36,000 and 14 wells.

The reports haven’t been completed on how many people it affected, but Jones said they may have provided 7,000 people with clean water.

This year, the organization plans to raise $50,000. Jones said they’re confident that they’ll blow through that goal. They’re also expecting 50 to 100 people to participate in the event this year.

The event is set up so that even beginners can work out. There are different divisions ranging from beginner to RX. There are male and female divisions as well.

Competitive registration is closed but beginner registration will be open through the day of the event.

People do not have to participate in the event to contribute to the cause. On WOD for Water’s website (wodforwatertroy.com), for those who wish to donate monetarily, there is a donation button.

A raffle will be held for a beach trip, provided by Sanders Beach Rentals, in which all participants will be automatically entered. Any additional entries may be bought online.

WOD for Water simulates what it would be like to actually go through the struggles that people from India, South Sudan and Cambodia have to go through daily to get clean water.

Common exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, lunges and squats will incorporate a jerry can, which is a yellow container filled with water. Jerry cans are what people use to transport water from the wells so far away from their homes, back home. These cans can weigh 40 pounds when full.

There will be three WOD’s for all scaled and RX teams, and then a fourth WOD for the top three male and female teams in each of these divisions.

There will also be a walk going on around the quad for those who want to participate without doing the heavy workouts.

WOD for Water will begin at 8 a.m. on Sept. 13 on the Bibb Graves Quad.