Saman Gunan was a Thai Navy diver and a true hero the day he tried to save 12 boys and their football coach who were trapped in a cave. But, despite his heroic efforts, the mission resulted in his death and CrossFit Chiang Mai created a Saman Hero WOD to honor the bravery that took place the day of the rescue attempt.
Thankfully, all of the boys and their coach survived but Saman Gunan will never be forgotten for putting his life on the line in order to save the lives of several others.
His widowed wife Waleeporn Kunan quoted a saying from Saman when speaking with BBC… “Saman once said we never knew when we would die. We can’t control that, so we need to cherish every day.”
Here’s a video of the rescued Thai boys in the hospital…
Saman Hero WOD
8 Rounds for time
Each Round
- 13 Deadlifts — 185 pounds for men/125 pounds for women
- 17 Wall Balls — 20 pounds to a 10-foot target for men, 14 pounds to a 9-foot target for women
- 400-meter run
Background
CrossFit has a tradition of honoring fallen heroes who have died while saving others. This workout will be done to honor retired Thai Navy SEAL and Petty Office First Class Saman Kunan.
Khun Saman died while Diving through a flooded cave (Tham Luang) supplying air tanks to a group of 12 young students and their coach who were trapped 3.2 kilometers into the flooded cave. He successfully delivered the tanks but died on the return dive on July 6.
Khun Saman was 38 years old and volunteered for the mission to rescue the boys. The rescue involved dozens of people from many different countries, with a very dangerous and complex rescue into a flooded cave with extremely narrow passages.
All of the children and their coach were successfully rescued.
Saman Gunan’s family and community are mourning his death and he was a truly beloved person who made a huge impact on the lives of many.
