State Trooper Launches 'Survival of the Fittest' Event
- Illinois State Police records show the inaugural “Survival of the Fittest” competition was held on October 11, 2025, for Troop 3 personnel in Oak Lawn. - Illinois State Police said the first event tested strength and endurance, and named Joshua Mathis and Ashleigh Wilson as its top finishers. - Registration details for the second annual event were published through a Patch community post this week.
An Illinois State Police master sergeant has launched a second annual “Survival of the Fittest” competition aimed at law enforcement officers across the state, according to a Patch community post published this week. Illinois State Police records show the first competition was held on October 11, 2025, at P2G Fitness in Oak Lawn for Troop 3 personnel. The state police described that inaugural event as a fitness competition built to promote health, camaraderie and physical readiness among officers. The new event broadens that concept beyond the original Troop 3 field, based on the Patch posting’s description of a statewide benefit for officers. ### Where did this event come from? October 11, 2025, is the clearest public marker for the program’s start. In a 2025 Illinois State Police internal publication posted online, the agency said P2G Fitness in Oak Lawn hosted the inaugural “Survival of the Fittest” competition for Illinois State Police Troop 3 personnel, including patrol, investigations and telecommunications staff. The Illinois State Police said the mission of that first event was to promote health and fitness for police through “friendly, encouraging, and challenging competition.” The agency said participants completed a workout designed to test strength and endurance, and it called the event a success in bringing troopers together around health, camaraderie and pride in physical readiness. (web-akamai.isp.illinois.gov) ### What is verified about the first competition? Illinois State Police named Joshua Mathis of the Executive Protection Unit as the top male competitor and Ashleigh Wilson of the Division of Internal Investigation as the top female competitor in the 2025 event. The agency said both received the title of 2025 SOF Fitness Competition Champion. (web-akamai.isp.illinois.gov) P2G Fitness in Oak Lawn hosted the 2025 event, and Illinois State Police thanked the 100 Club of Illinois, volunteers and Illinois Five-O Photography for supporting it. The 100 Club of Illinois says it provides financial support, training access and other resources to active-duty first responders and to families of first responders killed in the line of duty across Illinois. (web-akamai.isp.illinois.gov) ### How does the competition fit into Illinois State Police wellness efforts? Illinois State Police requires sworn employees to participate annually in physical fitness testing to ensure fitness-for-duty status, according to the agency’s physical fitness training page and wellness directive. The agency’s wellness directive also outlines recognition tied to physical readiness, including a Superior Wellness Lapel Pin and Superior Wellness Ribbon. (web-akamai.isp.illinois.gov) The agency’s FY2026-FY2028 strategic plan says Illinois State Police is focusing on employee wellness and resiliency as part of its broader planning. A separate Illinois State Police directive says the Officer Wellness Section coordinates and supports wellness-related programs for both code and sworn employees. (isp.illinois.gov) ### What does organizers’ description of the second event add? Patch’s Chicago page listed the new item under Neighbor News and described it as the “second annual” competition. The listing said the event encourages fitness, resilience and camaraderie among law enforcement officers while expanding access to wellness resources. That wording tracks closely with existing Illinois State Police wellness language and with the first event’s stated mission, though the Patch listing is the only source surfaced in this search that describes the new edition as statewide. (isp.illinois.gov) No separate Illinois State Police news release about the second event appeared on the agency’s public news release page in the search results reviewed. (patch.com) ### What can readers verify now? Patch’s listing indicates registration details are available through the community post announcing the second annual event. The Illinois State Police public site, meanwhile, documents the agency’s broader wellness framework, fitness requirements and strategic emphasis on resiliency for employees. As of Thursday, August 6, 2026, the publicly verifiable trail is strongest on the 2025 inaugural competition in Oak Lawn and on Illinois State Police wellness policy. (patch.com) The next concrete step for participants is the registration information referenced in the Patch post for the second annual “Survival of the Fittest” event.
