A veteran-owned gym in Mission Valley, Fit 2 Ripped, dedicated its workout Saturday morning to the 13 servicemembers who were killed in last week’s suicide attack in Afghanistan.
Gym owner Alex Medina served in the U.S. Marines Corps. When he saw all the chaos and violence in Afghanistan, Medina knew he wanted to do his part to make sure the sacrifice of his fellow Marines is never forgotten.
“It always hits home when we lose Marines,” said Medina.
On August 26, 13 U.S. service members were killed during an attack outside the airport in Kabul.
For Medina, it’s important to share his patriotism. On Saturday morning he invited the public for a workout. He made sure to remind the class of the tragedy in Kabul.
“Seeing that always saddens us because we know what it takes to be able to defend people who are helpless and we know what it takes to protect our freedoms,” said Medina.
Ten of the 13 service members were stationed at Camp Pendleton. Military families and people in the San Diego are saying their feelings are still raw after the brutal attack. NBC 7’s Kelvin Henry reports.
Around the gym, the monitors show the photos and names of the service members who were killed.
“One of the parts of the workout is you walk up and say the next person’s name and you pay your respects. That keeps you going. The workout is tough but knowing we’re doing it for them is important,” said Erin Laucis, a gym member.
Medina is encouraged by the support he’s received from San Diegans.
“I love that we can rally behind our troops regardless of what’s going on. Our troops are not there for the thank you. They’re there because they think the red white and blue is the right color to defend,” said Medina.