Bryan Abell is a National Guardsman and an ROTC cadet at MSU. He is a senior studying finance in the Broad College of Business.
The following is a repurposed piece from MSU’s Undergraduate News by Gregory Teachout, teachou4@msu.edu. To read the original article, click here.
One July Sunday in a Milford, Michigan gym, Bryan Abell squatted down, kicked his feet out, pressed his chest to the ground and spread his arms wide. Then he did a pushup, stood upright and hopped a few inches into the air. He proceeded to do that 4,688 more times. After twelve hours, Abell, who is an MSU student, earned the Guinness World Record for performing the most chest-to-ground “burpees” in a 12-hour period.
Astonishingly, Abell doesn’t think the burpees are the hardest thing he’s done this year. That honor goes to creating a charity — the Stronger Warrior Foundation — with his sister, Katelyn Abell. The foundation sends handmade crates full of food, clothes, letters and video message links to soldiers deployed abroad. The crates are often painted and decorated by local schoolchildren.
“In every one, there’s a slip that says what family or who sponsored this box and who built it,” Bryan said. “It talks about our process and how it was built. I think there’s something very special about that. I mean, it’s just a box, but it’s my favorite part.”
“I think that adds a special touch,” Katelyn said. “When you leave, you are probably feeling secluded and isolated from what you know is home and your friends and your family, so to be able to get this crate from your family, or even a complete stranger wishing you the best, I think that could really change someone’s day.”
As a National Guardsman and ROTC cadet at MSU, Bryan has seen the hardship that many service members experience. He had no idea how he might begin to address the problems plaguing many veterans, but he knew he had to try.
“Being in the military, every day you see that people go through troubles, like anyone else,” Bryan said. “Usually it’s financial issues, or physical and mental well-being issues because of their service.”
He wanted to help, but like most people, couldn’t find time between all of his obligations and didn’t know where to begin. That’s when a friend who had founded his own non-profit gave Bryan some no-nonsense advice.
“He basically called me out and said, ‘You have the time. You just need to do it.’ Probably like everyone who starts something like this, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to really do anything,” Bryan said.
Luckily, Katelyn, an MSU graduate, had been volunteering with various charities for years; her skills and passion for helping people made her the ideal co-founder, according to Bryan.
“Starting something from the ground up — it has been very challenging,” Katelyn said. “You don’t sleep a lot. It’s really an all or nothing approach. This is a business. Every day, you have to show up and work hard to run it. And it’s completely non-profit. You either want the work to exist, you’re interested in volunteering and you care about this purpose, or you don’t.
“There’s no in-between. The outcome it can bring to the community — that’s what I think pushes me. There are days where you’re exhausted and it’s overwhelming. But every day we’re out there.”
The Abells are adamant about owing their success to a resilient network of supportive friends, family, local businesses and a savvy, experienced board of directors, most of whom have military experience themselves. They also think the integrity of those who understand the mission is a central factor in the organization’s rising profile and early success.
As the Stronger Warrior Foundation’s profile increases, the Abells plan to expand their initiatives. In addition to university and trade school scholarships, they are intent on making the largest impact possible for veterans with disabilities and serious mental conditions like PTSD.
Interested in getting involved? The Stronger Warrior Foundation plans to hold events around Michigan in the coming months, including the East Lansing area.
In November, Bryan will continue the Abell’s mission of raising awareness for veteran advocacy: He will attempt to set the one-hour world record for number of burpees performed.
“Whatever great feeling you think you’re going to have when you help someone, it’s 10 times better than you could ever imagine when you actually do it,” Bryan said.