FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. - For the son of an Apex man, the competition was a strenuous test of endurance, teamwork and skill that took him, and 215 other men and women representing all military services and the U.S. Coast Guard, through more than 50 miles of rugged West Virginia mountains and white-water rapids.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Milo J. Warner, son of Milo Warner of Apex, was one of those service members who traveled to this remote resort area to test his skills in a five-event outdoor competition called "Wilderness Challenge."

Over a two-day period, competitors mountain-biked over a 13-mile uphill course, paddled seven miles in a two-person combination kayak, canoeand raft called a "duckie", ran an eight-kilometer (five mile) mountain trail, hiked 15 miles and raced whitewater rafts over 10 miles of rapids. Warner was part of a Coast Guard team from Yorktown, VA, one of 54 teams to compete in this year's challenge.

“I enjoy challenging myself with the most professional and motivated people in the world,” said Warner, a gunner's mate first class with the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center.

“I participated in the 2008 challenge, and after that I fell in love with it and vowed to participate every year from then on.”

Wilderness Challenge represents mostly physical challenges, but forces teams to work together. Each team was required to pass certain checkpoints together, some tying themselves together with bungee cords, and others circling back to the slowest person to make sure they finished together.

The competition, coordinated by the Navy Mid-Atlantic Region, Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown for the last nine years, is a little different each year. However, while the distances and routes change, core events have remained in place giving teams an idea of what to train for. Some trained together before arriving and others chose their own training regimens. "I trained with lots and lots of running, biking, swimming, kayaking, crossfit and kettleballs," said Warner. "It was a challenging regimen to balance against work, school and spending time with my wife and children."

Fighting cold, wet elements, uphill runs, walks and bicycling, and racing river currents, the competitors and teams highlighted their strong points and shored up their weaknesses to become competitive during the race.

"None of the events were really 'easy'," said Warner, who has been in the Coast Guard for eight years. "They all had their own unique challenges. But the most difficult event for me was the hike. I just didn't want it to end."

Warner and the other competitors in Wilderness Challenge received a special event coin commemorating the competition and walked away with the knowledge they put their endurance and willpower to the test.