Frequently Asked Questions

Wait, I thought this was the 6535 Memorial Workout - why the name change? In light of the workout's growing support, and in order to honor all of those who have given their lives on Coast Guard missions and training, the name of the workout was changed to honor the crew of the CG6535 as well as the heroes that had gone before them. We thought it was what they would have asked us to do.

How is a workout a memorial? People remember in many different ways. In groups or alone. Quietly or out loud. This event is a unique opportunity to honor those who have gone before us through sweat and effort. In the comparatively minuscule suffering we endure through this workout, we reflect on the suffering and sacrifice of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us.

Sounds cool, how to I set up an event near me? The whole idea of this program is to empower individuals to gather together in small or large groups wherever they are; at home or at work, ashore or at sea, and remember our fallen heroes. Just send an email, text, tweet or actually talk in person with some friends from your office/gym/unit and pick a place to throw down. Other than the t-shirt/hat/coffee fundraisers, we are totally decentralized, and counting on YOU to help the event spread and be a success.

There's a fundraiser? Yes, we are excited to partner with the Rescue Swimmer Shop, Nr Maintain, and Humble Beginnings Coffe Co for this year’s fundraiser. Visit the “Support” page, or check our our socials for more info on these great companies.

Who gets the money from this? All proceeds (100%) will go to the Coast Guard Foundation's Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund.

I'm organizing an event and want to sell shirts that day, can I? Absolutely. Shirts are available in limited quantities from the Rescue Swimmer Shop website. You can link folks to the website or gather sizes and place a bulk order for your event participants en masse.

It says the event is on 28 February, what if I'm not free that day? We ask that events be setup on or around the 28th of February in honor of the crew of the CG6535, but know that schedules don't always permit. We encourage teams to plan workouts anywhere within a week of that date, if able.

I love the cause, but hate burpees and don't need a t-shirt. How do I participate? Nobody likes burpees, but you should do some. Even if you don't, you can donate directly to the Coast Guard Foundation (Link on the Support Page).

We're doing an event in my area (or we just did one), how do I share with the rest of groups that are participating? We hope to grow beyond our capacity to track events around our nation and the globe. In order to get an idea of where folks are taking time to remember, we ask that you share your photos, videos and comments through your chosen form of social media using the hashtag #CGWODTOREMEMBER. It will make us all easy to find and share.

I'm so in for this workout! What's the record? I'm going to beat it! Even if we kept track, we wouldn't publish it. The goal here is to complete the workout and push yourself WITHIN YOUR OWN LIMITS. More than ever, we encourage athletes to take their focus off of themselves and put it on those they are remembering. Don't be fooled, this workout is tough and should NOT be attempted as Rx'd by anyone who has not been participating in these types of high intensity exercise programs before.

So if I'm not a life-long CrossFitter like those rockstars on ESPN, can I not participate? You can absolutely participate. One of the great parts of this workout is that by scaling the movements, anyone can take part - from a world class athlete to someone who hasn't done a pull-up in years. Check out the workout description above for some scaling options, or send us your questions via our Facebook page or Instagram DM to help tailor the workout to your participants' fitness levels. As with any workout, individuals participate at their own risk, and should adhere to their own limitations.

I thought there were two different workouts? In 2021, we encouraged individuals to complete a tribute workout in honor of LT Morgan Garrett. While the 6535 workout is the traditional workout led by our team, we believe in honoring our fallen friends in whatever manner they feel is best. The 2021 “Fly High” Workout is below.

“Fly High”

Designed by Morgan’s friends from the USCGA Track and Field Team and CGA CrossFit, “Fly High” pays specific tribute to LT Garrett.

40 minute AMRAP (As Rounds/Reps as Possible):

600m run

2 rounds:

  • 10 Burpees

  • 23 V-ups

  • 20 Hand Release Push-Ups

  • 20 Jump Squats