last message

"Today was a bit frustrating. I worked 4 hours later than normal, putting me in bed that much later. I shifted my sleep, diet, and workout to accommodate only to find myself in meetings all day and answering questions for an extra hour after another class I gave. I enjoy helping and teaching, it is a passion of mine- but as soon as I got done helping someone on the rower and was executing my first rep of MY workout, I got called away again. I tell you all this to ask if it's ok if I shift today's training to tomorrow? I'm looking at 2-3 hours before bed. Thoughts.....

Thank you and here is 14 Septembers work...
Push press and sup CTB chin ups @ 4111: 135/11; 155/9; 175/10 (last two reps were COVP); 195/9 (last three COVP); 205x2/7 COVP
Barbell cubans- 45# for 15 reps for all sets...I was very slow and strict with these
3 x 15 toes to bar....no GHD machine

I hope all is well, thank you for your patience!"

Aaron


this is a note I received a few days ago from Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Grider, US Army; whom I have been working with for while and was killed in action hours after this; i am deeply saddened and hurt, there is no other way to put it.

OPT will be donating money as well as part of the proceeds of the competition on Sep 25th to Aaron and his wife Brittany and child of 5 years of age Catie Ann; the dish will help others in time of need. so please register the $5 allotment for the comp no matter where you compete, thanks.

as I sit here and ponder, i can't help but celebrate the time i did get to chat with Aaron, watch his videos and tenacity to learn and discuss strategies as to how to live a larger life. as you can see with what is written, he was even concerned over my patience with time he was dedicating to learning. so for today, no workout, i will only ask you all to be grateful for what we all have; live every moment!

Sep 25th competition workout will be named respectfully "Grider" in his honor.
I'll miss you Aaron, more than you think.

18 comments:

DAVE X said...

What a blow. I'm saddened by this news coach. For those of us who have already registered is there a way of donating more?

OPT said...

Dave, what you've donated will suffice, thx for asking...with the large numbers out there and with our donation from OPT, we'll make a nice donation, Aaron's family thanks you.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry for your loss and will keep Aaron's family in my prayers.

Paul Klein said...

My deepest sympathy to Aaron's family and friends. Try to find comfort in your memories of Aaron and the fact that your grief is shared with a community here.

Marshall said...

Coach,
Thank you for the donations in Aaron's memory. I truly appreciate what everyone from the OPT family is doing. We are grateful. Aaron had a passion for life that influenced everyone who came in contact with him. If full effort tis full victory then Aaron is truly victorious.

Anonymous said...

RIP Warrior...

Geoff Aucoin said...

My apologies, James. My condolences to the family. I'm very proud to be a part of a community that takes such good care of it's members.

Brent Maier said...

That's a sad deal, sorry to hear that. I wish his family the best. I won't be competing next weekend but have donated to the competition so I'm glad it is going to a good cause.

Anonymous said...

To the Grinder family and OPT I am sorry to read of your loss. Sgt Grinder, thank you!

Rainer Hartmann said...

James
Due to my busted knee and running FGB5 the same day at my box, I'm unable to compete in the Challenge, but I will donate nevertheless.
Thanks for all you're doing for us, my condolences to the Grinder family for their loss!

Anonymous said...

I am a nurse here. I thought I had cried myself out after a month here. Then I receive a call from my daughter who went to school with Aaron. Now I can't stop crying. I still see that goofy kid that ran around with my kids. God, take care of him. He will be missed.

Anonymous said...

I went to school with Aaron. He was a year younger than me. We weren't great friends, but every time I talked to him I came away thinking of what a good person he was. He really was one of the nicest guys I've ever met. We had the military thing in common, so we would often talk about that.

I don't know what to say other than he touched a lot of people's lives. We were lucky to know him.

Mack Lar said...

James, you have created such an amazing community here it makes me proud to represent the Big Dawgs at every opportunity. Aaron himself was very much looking forward to representing the Big Dawgs this year. Aaron lived his life with an energy unmatched by anyone else I've ever met. He was a ferocious warrior, an amazing athlete, and the type of husband and father that we all aspire to be. We have surrounded his family with friends and loved ones to ensure that they are cared for and comforted. Thank you James, and thank you Dawgs.

Pete Seguin said...

James I'm very sorry and saddened to hear about this.

My condolences to Aaron's loved ones.

Pete

Sherry Grider said...

Thank u to everyone for ur love and support.He was truely a wonderful man, loving husband, fantastic father, adored son and to me the BEST brother a sister could ever ask for. I can say i was blessed to have him in my life. Rest in peace "Little Brother"

Nick Thompson said...

RIP Cuz... It was an honor to have such a wondeful cousin. I could not have been prouder.
Love ya man

BK said...

Reading this to myself and after to my beautiful new wife bought me to tears. My condolences to Aaron's family and all his friends in this time of great loss.

Anonymous said...

Aaron arrived at 1st Ranger Battalion about a month after I did. He was going through ROP the same time I was going through RIP. I was a 26 year old PFC and he became my Team Leader. The first memory I have of Aaron was this wretched 5 mile run he took me and about 5 other Rangers on. Wow… that was a smoker. A bunch of guys fell out. I did keep up with him, but I was so near exhaustion gasping for air and he seemed like he was going to run forever. The pace was killer. We deployed together for the Iraq invasion in 2003. After our return I went to Ranger School. After graduation Aaron requested that I come to his squad in 2nd Platoon. I could have gone to any platoon, but Aaron made sure to get me first. In 2004 we deployed again. Aaron and I’s squad was 3rd squad and it was main effort even though we were short a Tm Ldr, 249 gunner, 2 riflemen and 2 grenadiers. It was on this deployment that I was able to show Aaron some real movie classics that he had never seen before. Movies like ‘Lonesome Dove’, ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’, ‘One flew over the cuckoo’s nest’, and I want to say ‘Cool Hand Luke’. He began to give me crap because all of these movies were making him emotional and at the end he felt heartbroken.
In Pre-Ranger and Ranger School I had become good friends with Pat and Kevin Tillman. When Pat died during this deployment I was with Aaron. He was a good friend to me during this time. A few days later I found out I was going to be a father out of wedlock… again, Aaron was there. When we returned to Savannah I had a tough time adjusting. One night I drank too much and passed out outside of my dorm doorway. Aaron was on Staff Duty. He saw me laying on the floor in front of my door and came and opened it and placed me on my bed. Another night I was jumped by a group of individuals downtown. I called Aaron. It was around 1:30 am. He got dressed, hopped in his black Chevy and went searching for me until he found me. There is literally so much that I can write about Aaron. One day I will write it all. Even though Aaron was younger than me, he looked out for me. We looked out for each other. He was a very funny guy, an awesome person to be around, always positive, high energy, good father, great friend, phenomenal soldier and a believer. I will see you again someday brother.