SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police detective Benjamin Marconi was a fitness fanatic, and what better way to honor the slain officer than with a CrossFit routine.
A group of family and friends gathered Tuesday at CrossFit Unchained on the city's East Side to pay tribute to Marconi, who was shot and killed in front of Public Safety Headquarters on Nov. 20, 2016, while he was sitting in his police cruiser.
The workout, which has become an annual event, is a time to provide support for the slain officer's family.
"I know that this is a hard day, but it's also a happy day," said Tom Marconi, the officer's brother, who organized the workout routine, appropriately named Heroes Workout. "I wanted to do something that was positive, and also a healthy way to grieve. My brother was always fit."
The workout is rugged and symbolic. It incorporates Benjamin Marconi's badge number 2382, which means that workout participants had to log 2,382 meters on a rowing machine.
Roseanna Bancroft was among the workout participants.
"I just kind of wanted to pay respects to Officer Marconi, just to let him and his family know that we still remember him," she said.
Arthur Pruneda, owner of CrossFit Unchained, said it was an honor to host the event.
"To actually be able to help someone in our community achieve one of their goals is something that's dear to me," he said.