At the North River YMCA, the staff sees a parallel between how soldiers prepare for battle and how cancer patients prepare to fight their disease.

On Saturday, community members will participate in the branch’s Built for Battle challenge, a military-style fitness competition, Marissa Bell, chief marketing officer for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga, said in a news release.

The test is a part of an event series raising funds for the nonprofit’s Livestrong classes, she said in an interview. All money raised from competition entries will go toward the program, which is a free, 12-week class for any cancer survivor to help them physically and emotionally as they transition out of treatment to regular life.

Registration is still open for adults and children for $35 and $20, respectively, and the challenge is open to both members and nonmembers. The event will take place at 10 a.m., at 4138 Hixson Pike.

MILITARY SYMBOLISM

Bell likened cancer to a battle of physical and emotional proportions.

“Something like this, putting yourself through physically and emotionally, would get you ready to serve in the military, or would get you ready to serve in facing down cancer,” she said.

Some of the event’s physical components include a standing power throw, a three-repetition deadlift and a hand-release push-up, she said.

(READ MORE: North River YMCA program will help young adult cancer survivors)

Local military representatives, who are helping the North River branch build out the event, will also judge the pass or fail competition, Bell said.

Alan Miller was a chief petty officer in the Navy, serving as a musician, and worked a desk job in the civilian world before opting to do something more active to engage with others, he said in an interview. He is one of the personal trainers who will be participating.

Miller has trained for the event for about a week, but he said he intends to go out and have fun during the challenge.

He believes it is based on a modified version of the military’s physical readiness test, he said.

“Most of the military tests are all sort of an accumulative test or whatever,” he said. “You might be able to do one thing really well, but you have to do all these things strung together over a period of time. So, I might be able to run for 2 miles, but can I do all this other stuff and then go run for 2 miles? I’ll figure that out on Saturday.”

Miller said in the Navy, he and others hauled 5,000 pounds of gear wherever they went.

The test helps to maintain a standard, so that soldiers can perform their jobs in all the military’s branches. It measures whether someone is physically fit and can function under stress.

HEALING ONE’S BODY

Participant Chetta Crawford highlighted Livestrong in an interview as one of the branch’s great programs. She said staffers do a great amount of work in trying to help cancer patients recover, as it’s something the professionals want to do.

“It’s just inspiring,” she said. “You just want to help all you can.”

(READ MORE: Medical device at CHI Memorial advances stroke care)

Crawford takes classes at the branch four times a week, and she said some of the trainers challenged her and others with the military-style fitness competition.

She said she signed up for the event, knowing it would be hard, but has trained alongside other members since November, twice each week. Every day, they also train by doing a three-minute plank, completing 35 push-ups and practicing for the 2-mile run.

The classes aren’t easy, Crawford said, but she is encouraged by her instructors. She is most excited for Saturday’s run, as it’s an activity she enjoys.

“I’m going to do this, and I’ll give it my best shot because I wanted to participate for Livestrong,” she said about registering.

Crawford said she knows many people who have either had cancer or are experiencing it. Exercise is important.

“The older you get, and I’m getting on up there, and the more you exercise, the better off you’re going to be,” she said. “I truly feel like exercising will help heal your body. It’s vital.”

(SIGN UP: Get today’s Chattanooga area news, sports and entertainment directly to your inbox. Sign up for our free newsletters at timesfreepress.com/newsletters.)

Crawford said she is in a group of four who hold each other accontable. Each day, they will take selfies to commemorate what training measures they did.

A few weeks ago, Crawford said she was out west skiing, prompting a picture.

“(I) had somebody take a picture of me doing a plank out in the snow, and I sent it to the group,” she said. “One of the other instructors, she was at the beach last week, and so she sent a picture. Her’s was far more fabulous ’cause she’s on the beach doing a plank. It’s fun just keeping in touch with everybody.”

At different stages of life, everyone is presented with challenges, Miller said.

“I think there’s a lot of research supporting this, that being physically fit, particularly strong, maintaining muscle are things that help you survive these things that come at your life, whether that’s cancer, whether that’s a fall,” he said. “Whatever that may be. That’s why I think that if there is a fountain of youth, that is staying healthy and strong.”

Contact Leah Hunter at lhunter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6673.