Unity man to appear in 'Broken Skull Challenge' reality TV competition

As a student at Hempfield Area School District, Chris Reese's behavior resulted in his mother being on the speed dial of administrators.

Reese, 21, has turned his energy from drugs and alcohol to physical fitness, and that has carried him all the way to Hollywood.

The Unity man will be one of eight to compete in the season premiere episode of “Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge” at 8 p.m. Sunday on CMT.

The reality competition pits athletes in a series of physical challenges, including the grueling Skullbuster obstacle course.

Reese's mother, Christine, said she's proud of what her son has accomplished, having attended alternative school, placement centers and rehabilitation programs.

When she sees her son's former teachers, she's excited to tells them how proud she is of Reese.

“I always say, ‘You'd be surprised,' ” she said.

Reese, who works as a construction laborer, said he dedicated his time on the show to his parents and their compassion, and would use the $10,000 prize to try to repay them.

“I wanted to show my mother and father the transformation so I can show them what I've become,” he said.

As a teenager, he spent 18 months with the Greensburg-based program Outside In, where after hard work with counselors, he was rewarded with outdoor trips, such as biking and caving excursions.

Once home, he continued to focus on physical fitness, but running and weightlifting weren't enough to satisfy Reese's spirit of adventure.

At the suggestion of his older brother, Brandon, he completed his first obstacle course race in 2011.

“It was the most amazing accomplishment and feeling, knowing that I finished that race,” Chris Reese said, noting that obstacles such as carrying sandbags, slogging through mud and crawling under barbed wire make for more of an engaging challenge.

Reese has competed in Pennsylvania and surrounding states, tackling 21 obstacle course races, including Seven Springs' annual Mud on the Mountain and the Spartan Race series.

So when Reese heard about the CMT television show, he said he knew he had to give it a try.

“It was just the most epic experience of my life,” Reese said, calling “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the former WWE wrestler who hosts the show, a “really cool guy.”

He can't divulge the outcome of the show, but he said the all-expense paid trip to Hollywood in October was “just unreal.”

Kevin Andrews of True Health and Fitness in Greensburg said he and his clients will be watching Reese, who trained at the facility.

“His dedication to his training and racing as a whole is incredible,” said Andrews, a certified Spartan SGX coach.

Andrews said he trains obstacle-course racers with equipment such as ropes, monkey bars, tractor tires and sandbags, as well as with traditional body weight and cardiovascular exercises.

A couch potato can conquer a race after three months of training, Andrews said.

“We try to make sure everyone is ready for the obstacles,” he said.

Reese, along with a crowd of friends and family — including his mother; father Randy; stepbrothers David and state Rep. Mike Reese; and stepsister Kara — plan to watch the premiere episode of the show in Dino's Sports Lounge in Unity.

“You just can't give up, that's what we talk about all the time,” said Christine Reese. “When people gave up (on Reese), he didn't.”

Stacey Federoff is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-836-6660 or sfederoff@tribweb.com.