OUR MISSION:

To raise funds and awareness for Veterans and First Responders living with Operational Stress Injuries.

OUR CORE VALUES:

Honour & Respect:

We honour and show respect for fallen heroes through hero workouts created in their memory; we respect each and every participant, volunteer and team member of 24 Hours of Heroes events. (Hero workouts are functional fitness workouts which are written and performed to honour fallen service men and women. They are typically long and gruelling, and meant to make you uncomfortable, but also to remind you of the ultimate sacrifice made by the hero(es) for our freedom and safety.)

Support & Encouragement:

We support Veterans and First Responders living with Operational Stress Injuries (for example, PTSD) by raising awareness about them and their impact; we provide a supportive and encouraging event for all participants.

Inclusivity & Community:

We provide inclusive workout-based events to create and maintain connections throughout our communities (this means options to scale movements or partner up when needed to accommodate all fitness levels and experiences); we honour veterans and first responders of all genders, race, religions and experiences.

Educate & Inspire:

Through our partnerships with mental health organizations, we promote and educate on the importance of mental health in the Veteran and First Responder communities, as well as within our communities in general.

OUR PARTNERSHIP

24 Hours of Heroes is grateful to be partnered with Wounded Warriors Canada.

Wounded Warriors Canada is a national mental health service provider utilizing clinical best practices and evidence-based care to create an environment of compassion, resiliency and hope for Canada’s Veterans, First Responders and their families.

Since our first event in 2016, 24 Hours of Heroes has raised over $360,000 for Wounded Warriors Canada, which has included funding 3 service dogs: NSD Neville, NSD Ajax, and Nacho.

THE EVOLUTION OF OUR EVENTS

2016

Gord, a Canadian Forces Veteran, and Bob, an Orange Helicopter paramedic, began the event in 2016 out of Hybrid Fitness in London, Ontario. Over November 10th and 11th, the pair alternated Hero workouts every hour, each completing 12 workouts over the 24 hour event. This first year was a great success, and raised over $8,000.

2017

18 total Hero workouts were completed during the 2017 event - with an emphasis on Canadian heroes - as well as an overnight ‘ruck march’ around the city of London to pass the torch between two host gyms: Hybrid Fitness and MVMT Strength. Over $10,000 was raised, and we were able to fund National Service Dog Neville who was placed with a local Veteran living with PTSD.

2018

Further growth was seen in 2018, as more Ontario gyms were recruited, including CrossFit Oshawa, CrossFit Exhilarate, and Iron Lodge Fitness. 2018 saw completely Canadian content, and the debut of a fan-favourite Hero WOD: The London Firefighter Memorial Workout (completed in bunker gear generously provided by City of London Fire). We raised over $22,000, which helped to fund NSD Ajax as the Peel Regional Fire Department facility dog.

2019

Incredible community support and participation created the need for a larger event space, resulting in our partnership with Fanshawe College Department of Public Safety. Situated in an expansive gym space, we debuted the #ALLIN Team Challenge which saw teams of 4 camp out on-site overnight and share the load of all 24 workouts. During our closing ceremonies, we also completed a special “Burpees for Nurses Relay” to recognize the services of our frontline medical workers. Raising over $40,000, we were thrilled to introduce another NSD recruit, Nacho (named by our 24 Hours of Heroes community) who is currently training for his role as a PTSD service dog.

2020

The COVID-19 pandemic certainly threw us a curveball, though offered a unique opportunity to utilize a virtual format for our event. 4 Hero workouts were completed on each of 2 days, where participants could opt to workout from one of our satellite gyms, or at home as a remote participant. We were joined by approximately 20 satellite gyms and over 500 participants, and finally achieved our goal of going coast-to-coast! Together, we again surpassed our fundraising efforts from previous years, raising over $59,000!

2021

With the success of our 2020 “virtual” format, 24 Hours of Heroes decided to again run a total of 8 Canadian hero workouts over the course of 2 days, with athletes and gyms from across Canada participating. Our incredible community came together to raise over $70,000 towards Wounded Warriors Canada mental health services (wow!). We couldn’t be more grateful and proud to see the growth not only between 2016 and this event, but even between 2020 and this event. The future looks bright, and we know that we’re truly #inthistogether and making a difference in the lives that those who need it.

2022

Continuing with the success of the previous 2 years, 24 Hours of Heroes continued with the 2-day, 8-workout format for another year. With both returning and new gyms (hello Atlantic provinces!), we exceeded fundraising expectations once again, and with the help of our amazing community raised over $81,000. We are beyond impressed with the continued passion of our participants, and know that these funds raised will make a huge difference in the lives of the service women and men who utilize the Wounded Warriors Canada’s mental health services.

2023

The 2023 edition of 24 Hours of Heroes was another resounding success!! Together, our amazing community raised over $70,000 for the amazing mental health services offered by Wounded Warriors Canada. This year, we grew into new locations, including Quebec (bonjour!) and Alberta, and new gyms - from close to our HQ in Southwestern Ontario all the way to Vancouver Island. We are so grateful for the continued dedication of our participants & gyms :)

2024

Stay tuned … November 9th & 10th, 2024!

For more information on 24 Hours of Hereos, please feel free to reach out to isabelle@24hoursofheroes.com.