SWAMPSCOTT — Four Swampscott police officers made a long journey for a great cause earlier this month.
Justin Bragan, John Cassidy Jr., Michael Chandler, and Michael Kenyon made the trek from Rockport to the Swampscott police station as part of the Tough Ruck Challenge.
Kenyon said that the group participated in the challenge to honor frontline workers who have been through so much during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as fallen service members, police, firefighters and EMTs.
“It’s a trying time with COVID and it’s our way of honoring those people,” said Kenyon.
Tough Ruck Nation is a group of military members, first responders and civilians whose sole purpose is to Ruck in honor of fallen service members and first responders, while raising funds to support their warriors and families of the fallen. Participants march with weighted rucksacks, or backpacks, and carry the names of fallen comrades with them, according to the Swampscott Police Department.
Bragan served in the U.S. Air Force, and Cassidy Jr. is active in the Air Force Reserves. Walking alongside them were their fellow Swampscott officers, Chandler and Kenyon.
The group of officers beat their expected time by 15 minutes and finished the journey in just over nine hours, but Kenyon said that it took a lot of determination to simply finish the walk. The group walked 10 miles before they took their first break.
The officers made various stops along the way, which included meeting some family members of one of the participants, as well as running into a Lynn District Court officer who had participated in a Tough Ruck Challenge two days prior. This court officer gave the group of officers some challenge coins and advice, which they drew upon for the remainder of their journey.
Kenyon said the group had the most difficulty with crossing the Salem-Beverly bridge.
“That was probably the hardest point because we were exhausted, but you sort of feel like you are coming home,” he said.
Kenyon said he was grateful for the support he and his fellow officers received from another colleague, Sgt. Jay Locke, who served as the group’s support car; Locke drove behind the group and gave them drinks and snacks to keep them nourished along the way.
As the four officers neared the finish line, there was one moment in particular that made Kenyon emotional. The Swampscott Fire Department had lined up their trucks along the route and cheered on the group as they approached the police station.
“I come from a family of firefighters so I got choked up when I saw that because you are physically beaten down, so when I saw that it was a major rally point,” said Kenyon.
