Central Elementary School principal Matt Siembida and teachers C.P. Mooney and Jeff Fonzo decided to begin training for a Spartan Race about six months ago.
Siembida said he wanted to get in better shape so the race was a good goal to have for motivation.
On Thursday, all the Central students and teachers made their way quietly into the gymnasium for a surprise. They had set up a mock Spartan Race in which Siembida would be invited to compete against a team of students.
The principal had no idea that any of this had been planned.
“You all have detention,” Siembida joked after he entered the gym.
Siembida will be the only one of the three going to race this weekend in the Pittsburgh Sprint 3 to 5 mile Spartan Race in Wampum. Mooney and Fonzo decided it wasn’t for them.
“I saw what the race entails,” Fonzo said with a laugh. The Spartan Race is an endurance race of running and obstacles.
“I’m old, he’s not,” Mooney said as he pointed toward Siembida.
The gymnasium was set up with a parachute to simulate a mud-bog, several climbing and lifting obstacles and other obstacles in a much shorter race than he’ll have on Saturday. He went through each obstacle with a group of students working in relay fashion, each having one obstacle to accomplish.
The entire student body screamed and cheered as Siembida and the students went through the course.
