Rhode Island Monthly January 2020 | Page 17

17 20 22 25 29 35 Overcoming Obstacles Overcome this past year’s obstacles and tackle new ones for 2020 by entering the Frozen Clam Dip and half-mile shoreline Obstaplunge on New Year’s Day. It’s the only January 1 plunge involving a Ninja Warrior-style obstacle course, organized by Warwick-based Laid-back Fitness. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Goddard Memorial State Park Beach, and participants can stick to the traditional icy dip into Narragansett Bay or run through the obstacle course followed by a plunge into the ocean. There’s even a Kids’ Ninja Zone for children ages five and older to play on Laid-back Fitness’s mobile warped wall. The event’s proceeds benefit Mentor Rhode Island, a nonprofit that offers mentoring services to Rhode Island youth through school- based programs in Warwick, Woonsocket, Newport, Middletown, Cranston, Pawtucket and Providence. Laid-back Fitness founder and president Ryan McGowan serves as a mentor for kids through the organization while also producing the ninth-annual fundraising event. “The Frozen Clam Dip and Obstaplunge underscores what we teach at Laid-back Fitness: that a resilient mindset is the key to enduring discomfort and achieving goals beyond our comfort zones at the gym, at work or in life,” says McGowan. “Our hope is to instill a similar mindset in our participants, so that they feel inspired and equipped to conquer challenges of every kind.” —JAMIE COELHO RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l JANUARY 2020     15 CityState ) Current Business Style Out Takes Reporter To-Do List