Ares Places First.

Published: 07/18/2013 09:39:18 AM

Ares Armor Team Members Place First.

Our very own Jon ZumMallen and his active duty team member �J� participated in the 24-hour 2013 Sniper Adventure Challenge and placed 1st in the Sprint Class. For those of you who do not know, Jon is the Chief of Soft Goods Manufacturing and drives almost all Ares Armor Nylon Research & Development. Jon is also a former Recon Marine and Scout Sniper; as is his active duty partner �J�.

When asked how they prepared for the competition, �J� said he did nothing out of his normal active duty routine. Jon snickered, �After getting out of the Marines about a year and half ago I lost almost 20 lbs. of muscle mass, my prep for this mostly consisted of beating my face against a sewing machine till our back-order list was nearly gone and fracturing my thumb the week prior. Who lets a broken bone get between them and training? I did however get to run with my 10 month old daughter for a few weeks prior to the competition, as well as my weekly physical therapy appointments at the VA for arthritis of the lower back and weak ankles.� Between Jon�s work schedule and �J�s� active duty schedule, they only got 1 day of serious data collection at the range; however both agree the team could not have been more perfect.

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"Honor, Perseverance, Spirit and Heart. A Recon Marine can speak without saying a word and achieve what other can only imagine."

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With �J�s� youth pushing Jon to run where terrain permitted, in combination with Jon�s experience and navigation skills; the team hit checkpoints with uncanny precision. The two men team admits, any other team mate combination would have left them in a much lower ranking.

Jon states, "At the end of the Recon Creed it says: 'Honor, Perseverance, Spirit and Heart. A Recon Marine can speak without saying a word and achieve what others can only imagine.' Despite the lack of prep for this competition I believe the Perseverance, Spirit and Heart that was instilled in both of us as Ropers lead us to the win. We just wanted it more and didn't care about the pain (until we crossed the finish line)."

Jon notes that this year he has been developing lighter products than the traditional Ares Armor line-up. Competing in this competition has re-affirmed his new vision of gear that is designed lighter, ergonomic and more skeletonized; but still holds true to the BOMB Proof/ Marine Resistant construction that Ares Armor is known for, like the new Derma Plate Carrier that is slated for release at the end of the month.

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Both team members want to extend a special thanks to sponsors:

• Ares Armor for the time off to participate in the competition
• Four Guys Guns - 300 win mag ammo
• Atacs Camo Systems for team members uniforms
• Wiederrich Chiropractic Clinic for loaning us the 300wm and a better thumb splint that works with sand socks