Building Community Through Fitness

How the Power Monkey Educational Foundation provides access to a transformative experience.

Of the hundreds of CrossFit athletes and fitness enthusiasts who have experienced Power Monkey Camp, the week-long gymnastics, Olympic weightlifting, endurance, kettlebell training, and nutrition camp in Tennessee, co-founder Dave Durante said one woman best personifies the spirit and mission of the twice-yearly retreat: Karen Ward. 

“She is a powerhouse of a human being,” Dave said, adding that she’s been to 17 of their 23 camps they’ve hosted. She’s attended so many camps, Dave said, that one year they allowed her to attend for free, and now she’s a part of their staff. 

While Karen loves training and improving her athletic skills, Dave said the reason she keeps coming back is the sense of family and community.

“She loves working on her press to handstand and things like that,” Dave said, but he said the main reasons she returns are the connections and friendships she’s made over the years.  

Dave said he feels the same way. Even though Power Monkey Camp is a lot of work for the team, Dave said it’s also a time for him to reunite with some of his best friends. 

“I can't wait to get back to the camp because we get to be with our friends. And so I think that's one of the reasons why Karen continues to come back every year,” Dave said.

However, while the camp is like one big family, it also costs money: about $2,600 for the week. That includes all the meals, lodging, and world-class coaching, but Dave and his team know it’s an expense not everyone can afford. 

That’s why, a few years ago, they started a foundation for people who need help accessing the week of friendship and fitness.  

The Power Monkey Educational Foundation 

Dave and his team started the foundation in 2019 as a way to figure out how to get more people who couldn't come to camp due to financial barriers. 

“We take care of you at camp. Dietary restrictions, training, a chance to get away from the world—we think that $2,600 is undervaluing what you get, but for a lot of people that's a lot of time and that's a lot of money,” Dave said.

In an effort to reach people who might otherwise not be able to afford the week away, Power Monkey Fitness partnered with a few existing nonprofits they thought were doing great things within their individual communities. 

These include Project Onyx, which works to eliminate barriers Black and Brown teens and young adults face when accessing health and fitness services and 206 South (now called Pushing Dreams), which offers scholarships and mentorship programs for the youth in the Seattle area. 

“These organizations, that we believe deeply in, provide candidates to us. We vet the candidates and we open up four or five spots per camp for these scholarship winners. And then we do an auction and a fundraiser at camp, and the participants fund the next spots,” Dave said.

In that way, the scholarship keeps going, funded by the people who believe most passionately about the experience. 

“We were just looking at it the other day and realized we’ve funded a little over 40 spots over the years, which is $100,000 given to these participants,” Dave said. 

About Author, Hilary Achauer

Hilary is a renowned fitness business writer, marketing content writer, and journalist. She’s written content for start-ups, entrepreneurs, executive coaches, wellness providers, gyms, and CrossFit. Her focus is always on telling the best story with a clear, compelling style and being able to engage readers, bring in new customers, or build an audience.