Up For The Challenge
ZELIENOPLE — Zac Baker is one athlete who will never forget where he came from.
Why should he? He helped build part of it.
Baker, a 2021 North Catholic graduate, will be headed to Queens University in Charlotte, N.C., in the fall and will compete in swimming and the triathlon there. Before he leaves, he is putting together the seventh Ultimate Zelie Challenge at Zelienople Community Park.
Baker began this event when he was 12 years old.
“I was getting into the American Ninja Warriors back then,” he said. “There was no Ninja gym around here. I was looking for places I could train and started training on my own at the Zelie park.
“When I was talking to the park manager about the Mud Run, I suggested an idea of starting a Ninja-type challenge at the park to raise funds for it. He loved the idea and that's how it got started.”
This year's Ultimate Zelie Challenge — a ninja warrior-type competition — will be Aug. 21. Entry fee is $25 and registration opens at 9 a.m. at the park. Get Fit Families, the event organizer, can be reached at GetFitFamilies.com.
Youths ages 5-under, 6-7 and 9-10 will compete at 10 a.m. Youths ages 12-14 will compete at 1 p.m. Anyone over 15, including adults, will compete at 2 p.m.
“Every obstacle along the course consist of things already in place on the (park) playground,” Baker said. “There are three stages to each challenge.The stages are longer for the older age groups.”
None of the courses of the Ultimate Zelie Challenge take more than a few minutes to complete. The adult challenge will take place at the Barton Bars Park, located behind the baseball field at Zelienople Community Park.
Since 2015, Baker has been able to raise $13,000, which has helped develop and build the Barton Bars Park.
“Now I'm looking to add more stuff to those Barton Bars as well as contribute to other parts of the park,” Baker said. “Just keep improving it.”
Being a high school triathlete in his own right, Baker has developed this event with the intent for individuals to test their agility, strength, flexibility and endurance.
“People love to come out here and challenge themselves,” Baker said.
The growing participation numbers through the years reflect that.
The Ultimate Zelie Challenge had 30 participants in its first year, then 50 in the second year. The numbers grew to 75 or 80 the past couple of years and Baker anticipates having more than 100 this time around.
“I'm trying to get more adults involved now,” he said.
While he will soon be leaving the area for school, the Ultimate Zelie Challenge isn't going anywhere.
“I'll be here over the summers and plan to continue this event, as long as the park and the community allow me to do it,” Baker said.
He added in a released statement: “The community has provided so much to me and my family; everyone here is really like an extended family. We all work together to get things accomplished.”
