Imagine a contest where the Bible’s strongest, fastest, and most enduring heroes compete head-to-head in a modern GFF Challenge: 30 push-ups, 30 squats, 30 leg lifts, and a 500-meter run. Using current world record exercise speeds and legendary (or plausible) animal speeds for the run, here’s how these iconic figures might compare.

Samson; Judge and Nazirite Strongman; 1:20 (Estimated)

Samson’s legendary strength is unmatched in scripture—tearing apart a lion, carrying city gates, and defeating armies single-handedly. While the Bible doesn’t describe his running speed, his explosive power and stamina would be off the charts. If Samson could perform each exercise in just 10 seconds and run 500 meters in 20 seconds—reflecting his miraculous abilities—he would finish the GFF challenge in approximately 1 minute and 20 seconds, likely the fastest among mortals.

Asahel; Young Warrior; 1:31

Asahel is remembered for being “swift as a gazelle,” a title taken literally here. Using a gazelle’s sprint speed for the 500-meter run (22.5 seconds) and world record times for the exercises, Asahel’s total GFF score would be 1 minute and 31 seconds, putting him among the speediest men of the Bible.

David; Young Shepherd/Warrior; 1:31

David, famed for his agility and strength—able to take on lions, bears, and giants—was compared to a deer for his speed. With a deer’s top speed for the run and elite times for the exercises, David would also complete the GFF challenge in 1 minute and 31 seconds, tying Asahel and proving his legendary athleticism.

Goliath; Veteran Philistine Champion; 2:00 (Estimated)

Goliath was described as a giant, towering over his opponents and feared for his raw power. His massive size likely gave him immense strength but limited his speed and agility. If he could complete the exercises in 20 seconds each and run 500 meters in 60 seconds—a fast time for someone of his build—his GFF score would be about 2 minutes flat, showing overwhelming power but not quite matching the swiftest.

Jacob; Middle-aged Patriarch and Angel-Wrestler; 0:45 (During the Feat), 8:43 (After)

Jacob performed one of the Bible’s most extraordinary feats by wrestling an angel through the entire night, a contest that no ordinary human could survive, let alone endure. In that miraculous moment, Jacob’s strength, endurance, and resolve would have soared to superhuman levels—if channeled into the GFF challenge, he could have completed all exercises and the run in a staggering 45 seconds, outpacing even the fastest mortals by a wide margin. However, the cost of this divine encounter was a dislocated hip, and after the struggle, Jacob’s physical abilities were drastically reduced; his post-fight GFF score would plummet to 8 minutes and 43 seconds, showing both the peak of his miraculous potential and the lasting impact of wrestling with the divine.

Saul; Grown King; 1:45

Saul, described as “swifter than eagles,” was tall, strong, and a formidable leader in battle. Matching an eagle’s flying speed for his 500-meter run (36 seconds) and using elite exercise times, Saul would complete the GFF challenge in 1 minute and 45 seconds, earning a place among the biblical elite.

Jonathan; Young Prince; 1:45

Jonathan, Saul’s son, was also praised for his speed and courage, often fighting at the front lines. With the same eagle comparison and athletic ability, Jonathan would match his father’s GFF score of 1 minute and 45 seconds, proving himself one of Israel’s finest warriors.

Caleb; Elderly Veteran (Age 85); 2:30

Caleb, at 85 years old, boldly claimed the hill country and drove out giants from Hebron. Even in old age, his faith and vigor were legendary. If we give him a strong but realistic veteran’s time—85 seconds for the 500-meter run and just above world record speeds for the exercises—Caleb would score about 2 minutes and 30 seconds. His performance would be remarkable for any age, and truly extraordinary for a man in his ninth decade.

These scores show that the Bible’s legendary figures, if placed in a modern fitness challenge, would still stand out for their unique strengths—whether speed, power, endurance, or sheer determination. Some, like Jacob, would even brush the edge of the miraculous.

My name is Dr. James Muchiri, a medical doctor with a deep passion for primary healthcare. I come from a quiet village called Gatimu, nestled in Nyandarua County. Not many people often mention their primary school, but I always do—and for one special reason: it allows me to talk about my childhood inspiration, Mrs. Wahome.

Mrs. Wahome was an extraordinary woman, even by today's standards. She lived in Muthaiga and drove a sleek Peugeot 504. Always with a smile, she radiated warmth.

One day, after an English lesson, she signaled for me to follow her to the staffroom. I was terrified. The staffroom was a place where "hardcore" troublemakers were broken down by a group of underpaid and frustrated teachers, battling their own struggles with poverty and depression. But that’s a story for another day.

I was just 11 years old. Instead of the punishment I feared, Mrs. Wahome did something unexpected. She sat me down and talked to me about self-grooming and other basic life lessons. But it wasn’t what she said that stayed with me—it was how she said it, with love and genuine care. In that moment, she made an ADHD kid like me feel seen and valued.

That moment has had a lasting impact on me, and it’s part of what drives me today in my work as the link between Global Fast Fit and communities in Kenya. Our primary focus is disease prevention through exercise, helping people stay healthy and active.

The second mission is uplifting communities—sending children to school, paying their fees, providing uniforms and books, and even connecting them with mentors.

Now, back to my beloved teacher. When I received my first paycheck as a doctor, the first thing I did was search for Mrs. Wahome. When I found her, I asked how I could repay her for the impact she had on my life. With the same grace she had shown years ago, she told me, "When good is done to you, sometimes it’s not about returning it, but extending it to the next person."  

I love psychiatry for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I had the previledge of sitting throgh lectures by two darlings; Prof Atwoli and Prof Gakinya. Both professors have a wonderful teaching method. They give real world scenarios and leave you to figure out the rest of the details. They paint the bigger picture and leave you to fish for the details from whichever 'pond' you so wish. Beyond the lecture room each has unique qualities. Prof Atwoli is a decent chess player and a brilliant writer with a CV the size of John's Chest. Prof Gakinya on the other hand is a man with a golden heart. Secondly, this is where I got a better understanding of myself.

Today I will tell you how I knew I had ADHD. It was through a patient we saw at the psychiatric clinic with Prof Gakinya.

In medical school we do a salad of courses. From First year to third year we do theory courses. These are termed basic sciences and they set the foundation for clinical rotations that happen for the rest of the duration in medical school. That is from fourth year to sixth year.

During the psychiatric rotation we had the pleasure of seeing a kid with ADHD with the good professor. As usual he asked us to observe the kid for sometime and come up with a diagnosis. The kid was all over the place; checking out our stethoscopes, perusing through our books, asking a million questions, climbing onto desks and a myriad of other activities. His classteacher had recommended a psychiatric review because the kid was mischevious, never seemed to ever pay attention in class, was never on time and almost always never completed his assignments. His school bag had several dog eared books with jumbled up books. It was not easy to make head or tail of the notes the kid had made.

We were still green if the field of psychiatry and it came as no surprise that each of one of us avoided eye contact with the prof when the time came for us to diagnose the kid. The prof made the diagnosis and went on to describe similar cases of ADHD he had come across in his practice.

This was a deja vu moment for me. I saw myself in that kid. Always late for school, dishevelled, disorganized, absent minded, hyperactive and a myriad of other traits. I took special interest in the subject and did extensive research. I definitely had ADHD that had been undiagnosed till I was in my twenities. My childhood now made sense.

to be continued...