NY National Guard Soldier makes podium at DEKA World Championships

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - U.S. Army Lt. Col. Nick Whaley, a senior staff officer assigned to the New York National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division, competed in the recent DEKA World Championships in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Nov. 19-20, 2022.

Whaley, age 42, was one of more than a dozen National Guard Soldiers who competed in the competition as part of National Guard's All Guard Endurance Team.

Whaley, from Clifton Park, New York, placed 1st in DEKA Fit for his age group at the DEKA World Championships. Whaley also competed in the DEKA Mile championships.

DEKA events are functional fitness competitions put on by Spartan.

DEKA is The Decathlon of Functional Fitness. It consists of indoor fitness competitions and motivational training programs. The fitness competition revolves around ten machines that test endurance and strength in different ways, like rowing, ski ERG and biking.

They are an indoor decathlon of functional fitness designed to be basic, simple, and utilitarian. The focus of these events is to train with a purpose - to multiply member motivation, individual performance, and a sense of connection to the community.

The event took place Nov. 19 and 20 in the Atlantic City Convention Center. DEKA is a Spartan race brand, and challenges athletes to a series of timed events meant to test their strength and speed. There are three main events including DEKA Strong, which has 10 different stations athletes must complete back-to-back. Then there are DEKA Fit and DEKA Mile, two events that add running portions between the different stations.

To compete in a World Championship event, each competitor had to finish the previous qualifying season with a top 12 Competitive/Age Group Mark (time).

The All Guard Endurance Team promotes the Army and Air National Guard and improves retention through physical fitness, self-discipline and esprit de corps.

To view these members click here: https://dmna-ny.meritpages.com/achievements/NY-National-Guard-Soldier-makes-podium-at-DEKA-World-Championships/157044