Members of Ohio Valley Barbell (from left Justin Dela Cruz, Brad Becca, Cole Smelley and Christian Waterman) pose together before competing in Saturday’s Tough As Nails Urban Challenge in Wheeling. The Bridgeport-based gym participated in the annual obstacle race as part of its commitment to fitness, teamwork and leading by example.

WHEELING — For the members of Ohio Valley Barbell, fitness isn’t something that begins and ends inside a gym. It’s a lifestyle — one they put on display Sunday as the Bridgeport-based gym tackled the Tough As Nails Urban Challenge presented by The Health Plan together, leading by example one obstacle at a time.

“My biggest thing is to always lead by example,” Ohio Valley Barbell owner Justin Dela Cruz said. “That’s what I want from my trainers and the people who work for me. You can’t tell other people to do stuff you are not willing to do yourself so leading by example is by far the biggest key.”

That philosophy is why Dela Cruz said the gym’s coaching staff committed to competing together in the grueling 5-mile obstacle race through downtown Wheeling.

The Tough As Nails Urban Challenge presented by The Health Plan, launched in 2019 as part of Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine, sends competitors through 25 obstacles, including flood walls, steep hills and the event’s famous “Stairway to Heaven.”

For trainer Brad Becca, the race has become a Memorial Day weekend tradition.

“It’s a great cause for a great weekend,” Becca said. “We are going to do this annually. We look forward to it, train for it, it brings us together and we love seeing everybody out here on the move.”

“It’s cool,” he added. “Ogden Newspapers puts on a good event. It’s a good community event. We love this.”

Trainer Cole Smelley said the event stands out because it encourages participation from across the Ohio Valley.

“It’s great to see the community come out and do something together,” Smelley said.

The challenge also kicks off a demanding weekend for the gym’s members and coaches.

“This is the third year in a row that we do the Tough as Nails and then tomorrow we do the Murph at our gym,” Dela Cruz said. “We’re going to have about 80 people down there, a lot of young kids and student athletes, but we’re doing this first. A couple of hard days.”

The “Murph” is a CrossFit workout honoring fallen U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy that includes a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats and another 1-mile run.

Ohio Valley Barbell has built its identity around what it calls “‘community in strength’ – offering training for everyone from beginners to competitive athletes in a 24/7 facility focused on strength, conditioning and athletic development.

Trainer Christian Waterman said the Tough As Nails event fits perfectly with that culture.

“We’re here for the same reason all these people are here – to challenge ourselves,” he said.