Navesink's Patrick Husby raises over $16k for GCSANJ Foundation

Navesink's Patrick Husby raises over $16k for GCSANJ Foundation

Photo: Patrick Husby (l) with Tyler Otero of GCSANJ Foundation

Beginning on March 5th, Patrick Husby, Golf Course Superintendent of Navesink Country Club, ran four miles every four hours for the total 48 hours in the David Goggins 4x4x48 challenge to raise money for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of New Jersey (GCSANJ) Foundation. He raised $16,200 from 150 donors throughout his community and the golf community. This difficult challenge was created by retired Navy Seal David Goggins, who encourages participants to test their physical and mental stamina to complete the grueling task.   

Husby is a fitness enthusiast who began to follow David Goggins and the challenge after reading his bestselling book, "Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds," and seeing it trend on social media. Husby describes, "I had considered attempting it just as a personal challenge, but very quickly determined that the only thing to do would be to make it something that would benefit many. As Secretary of the GCSANJ Foundation and having served with the rest of the board members since 2012, the choice was simple." 

The GCSANJ Foundation is the charitable arm of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of New Jersey. Its purpose is to support the membership and the game of golf through charity, scholarship, and research. Through the years, the Foundation has proudly funded and supported turfgrass research at Rutgers University, provided educational scholarships for members and their families, and spearheaded numerous charity events.

Husby's fitness regime for the past several years consists of running and bodyweight training, but he had to alter his training to prepare for the challenge. He removed all physical workouts for 16 days leading up to the event, only running 4-mile distances. 

"I went into the challenge knowing the extreme physical burden it would put on me, but I felt as though I was reasonably prepared physically. I had no illusions as to how difficult the mental aspect of the challenge would be. That proved to be precisely as hard as I had expected. Simply being ready to get after it for 30 minutes or so every 4 hours was tough on the body and trying to get an hour or two of sleep between each of the 12 runs was equally so."

He notes that the second to last run proved to be the most challenging and most demanding test to his will as he was physically drained and feverish. He pushed through, knowing he had collected over 150 donation pledges, totaling over $16,000.

"I knew I was not going to let down the over 150 colleagues, friends, and family that had contributed to the GCSANJ Foundation during a pandemic when we are all trying to make ends meet. That was my biggest fear heading into this challenge. Letting anyone down, falling short of expectation, failing."

Husby completed the challenge on March 7th with supporters following this progress on Twitter. He describes the immense support as "humbling" and looks forward to finding another fitness challenge fundraiser in the future.

ABOUT GCSANJ

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of New Jersey (GCSANJ) is a state-wide association comprised of over 500 leading golf course management and maintenance professionals. Established in 1926, the association serves the golf course superintendent by advancing the profession, offering professional development, and fostering relationships for all members and partners.

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