BGSU athlete completes fund-raising exercises

4/17/2005

BOWLING GREEN A Bowling Green State University rugby player completed a 24-hour endurance workout yesterday, raising money to help the family of a slain teammate and setting what he says is a Guinness world record for doing the most exercise in a day.

Tom Forbrizzio finished his exercise marathon shortly after 2 p.m. with the last of 300 sit-ups at the university s rugby field at Poe and Park streets. In all, the BGSU senior did 13 exercises, including 100 miles of biking, 10 miles of jogging, and more than 1,100 push-ups and jumping jacks.

It was definitely grueling, Mr. Forbrizzio said. The hardest part had to be overnight, just staying awake and keeping my energy. In the last four, five hours, suddenly I wasn t sore anymore. I saw the end coming, and it was just pure adrenaline.

Mr. Forbrizzio said donor pledges for his workout and other fund-raisers by the rugby club have brought in about $4,000 to cover medical costs for the family of Roan Gouws, a former BGSU rugby player who was shot during a robbery in January in Pretoria, South Africa.