Person High School – Person High School Inaugural Raider Team Competition

ROXBORO, NC – On September 14, 2024, the Person High School Army Junior ROTC Raider Team held their inaugural Raider Competition at the Carolina Community Academy, in Roxboro, NC. The one-day competition consisted of five timed events including a 5K (3.1 mile) run, obstacle course, HUMVEE pull, physical fitness “Crucible” challenge, and one-rope bridge.

Six Raider Teams from the surrounding counties and Virginia took part with male, female, and coed teams competing. This was the first Raider Challenge meet of the season for most of the cadets, and it allowed them to assess their performance moving forward into future competitions.

For some, the “Crucible” was the most challenging of the events. The team began with 20 hand-release push-ups followed by a 70-yard relay of sprints, carrying 40-pound kettle bells, a 35-55-pound log (depending on mix of the team), and a sled-drag-carry, that all members had to complete.

“The ‘Crucible’ was a tough one to get through,” said C/MAJ Destyni Harris, Person High School Raider Team Captain. “There was a lot of adversity that we overcame as a team, with the pure physical strength it required to complete. I am extremely proud of what we accomplished in that event alone, and throughout the whole day.”

The event marked a significant milestone for Person High School JROTC program. This was the first time this type of event had been hosted by the school and culminated a five-year in the making process that began with SGM Raymond Myers’ (AI) vision to establish a competitive Raider Team and gain the support of the local community.

“This event felt like so much more than a JROTC event,” said Myers as he moved throughout the competition area, checking on cadets and cadre, and overseeing how it all came together.

“This felt like a community event. A community that came to support these cadets and the hard work all of them have put into building it, resourcing and training for it, and coming out here to compete.”

With the support of local organizations, PHS Staff, and others within the community, land for training was acquired, resources were donated to build the site, and a Raider Team was created and shaped that showcased Myers’ commitment to JROTC, Person High School, and the community that feeds PHS, the only high school in Person County.

At the end of a long day of competition filled with sweat, sore muscles, and blisters, Cadets stood proudly in formation and received their hard-earned awards. In addition to meeting new cadets from different schools, they walked away with a sense of accomplishment and a new mindset to prepare for the next competition. For Person High School, it was the start of a new tradition in the JROTC program, and lessons learned that they will take away from the event to reset the team and improve on the competition site for next year’s event.