Brant's Story

On November 3, 2022, the City of Palm Coast Fire Department Fire Fighter-Paramedic Brant Gammon passed after a courageous battle against metastatic brain cancer. Brant joined the fire service in 2018 after a full career in the IT sector. He is survived by his wife, Josie, and three children, Noah, Grant, and Gracie. 

Brant's story is that you can achieve your dreams regardless of age. It was his life legacy to give back to his community. The Gammon family is a story of service to others; his wife Josie is a Flagler County Sheriff's Office dispatch supervisor, and his son Grant serves in the United States Army.

The Gammon Ruck Relay

Brant lived a life dedicated to service and full of bravery. We honor his legacy by introducing a new one-of-a-kind event, The Gammon. On the first Saturday in November, teams will complete a ruck relay with seven distance legs traveling to each Palm Coast fire station for a total of 28 miles. There are no winners or losers - this is about the team effort, working together for a common goal. Finishers earn a patch, challenge coin, and the respect of everyone to their right and left. The event starts with a ceremony honoring Brant's life.

Proceeds, donations, and sponsorships will be used to create a scholarship in Brant's name. The scholarship will fund adults entering the fire service as a second career, just like Brant. The Palm Coast Benevolent Fire Fighters will oversee the scholarship fund. 

The Route

The ruck will start at Heroes Memorial Park/Fire Station 21. The route will take participants to each fire station in Palm Coast. The distance from 1 station to another is considered a leg of the relay, with a total of 7 legs. Participants can complete the entire route or share the distance legs between team members. The route from Fire Station 25 to Fire Station 22 has been broken up into 2 legs. The legs are:

Fire Station 21 to Fire Station 25: 4.4 miles
Fire Station 25 to Fire Station 26: 2.3 miles
Fire Station 26 to Graham Swamp Trailhead at Colbert Road: 4.6 miles
Graham Swamp Trailhead at Colbert Road to Fire Station 22: 5.9 miles
Fire Station 22 to Fire Station 24: 2.7 miles
Fire Station 24 to Fire Station 23: 4.4 miles
Fire Station 23 to Fire Station 21: 3.4 miles
*First aid stations will be at each of the Fire Stations, as well as a roving medical unit. There will be water stations available throughout the route. 

What is Rucking?

Rucking is the action of walking with weight on your back. It's a low-impact and accessible form of exercise based on military marches. You've probably done it and haven't even been aware - carrying a bag of books to school, commuting, even bringing in the groceries - it's just walking with additional weight. It's simple to do - all you need is a backpack and some form of weight. 

Can I do this?

Yes! If you can carry in the groceries and comfortably walk a mile, you can do this. We recommend scaling the weight you carry and making it fit into your fitness level. The recommended weights for this event:
Beginner - Slick (no weight) to 20 pounds
Intermediate - 30 pounds
Expert - 45+ pounds

What to bring on the day of:
-Rucksack
-Weight - ruck plate, sand, wrapped bricks, laundry, whatever works for you
-Water - we recommend a hydration bladder with a bite valve for ease
-Small first aid kit
-Wipes
-Windbreaker or rain layer
-Identification

If you are looking for some recommendations for training, a general one would be to complete these activities each week:
Moderate cardio activity, once/week
Light strength training, once/week
At least 1 weighted ruck/week
Stretching or yoga, the day after each ruck/week
Take 2-3 rest days for recovery/week

And remember, smile; it won't always be easy, but smiling never hurts!
 

Sponsors:

Title Sponsor

Chief

Battalion

Captain

Lieutenant

Firefighter
 

If you would like to speak about sponsoring this event, please contact Jared Dawson or Kim Brown with Palm Coast Parks & Recreation (contact information below).

Volunteer Opportunities

We are seeking groups and organizations to staff the water stations. If you or your group is interested, please contact Jared Dawson (contact information below).