Not to mention, Barron is 81 years old, or as he likes to say, “81 years young.”

“Jim approached me with this idea for a fundraiser event and he had asked the Cornell Fire Department to help put it on,” Jerry Plourde, Cornell Township supervisor, said. “This is all about scholarships and education, which is cool. Jim came up with the pushups idea though.”

All proceeds collected at the fundraiser event went towards the Escanaba Class of 1959 Scholarship Fund, an annual scholarship given to an Escanaba High School senior. The fundraiser event comes in light of two of Barron’s classmates, Jerry Rose and Harry Nelson, recently passing away. Rose was instrumental in the creation of the scholarship fund, for he had received a scholarship his senior year that allowed him to attend college. Nelson was a former art teacher in Escanaba.

“[Rose and Nelson] were friends of mine, we all lived in Cornell, and they have passed away. So I am doing this in their honor,” Barron said. “This gives me a reason to go above those spears and do the pushups.”

Andie Balenger | Daily Press Cornell’s Jim Barron completes pushups in exchange for pledges to the Escanaba Class of 1959’s scholarship fund Wednesday night. Barron, who is 81 years old, completed 120 full-extention pushups over a spike-laden contraption in less than 25 minutes, going above and beyond his original goal of 100 pushups in 30 minutes.

Barron has led an active life, with many years spent running cross country, racing snow machines, and bucking hay bales. While activity levels tend to wane as many enter the later years of their lives, Barron has seemingly increased the intensity of his exercise routine. In addition to doing 50 pushups everyday, Barron has been taking snowboarding lessons because spending the winters skiing out west has “become too boring” for him.

“My doctors told me to never try skiing, so now I have been skiing out west in the worst stuff they have got to offer just because they said I couldn’t do it,” Barron said. “I like having my heart up in my throat. I like that kind of stuff. Otherwise, things are boring.”

There is no denying that Barron has spent most of his life in the danger zone, chasing the adrenaline rush that accompanies recreation like jet-skiing, motorcycling, and racing modified cars. Often perceived as “the underdog,” Barron likes to show people that he can do the impossible.

“When someone wants me to do something, all they have to say is that I can’t do it,” Barron said. “Then they know I will be gone doing that thing.”

If a 79 year-old were to fall, break five ribs, and suffer a collapsed lung, many would consider them to be wheel-chair bound. Barron, however, has bounced back from that injury and a countless other ailments that have plagued him throughout life, including 30 broken bones, a split chest, and a partly shattered skull. Building himself back up from the lung and rib injury, Barron has been working to max out his pushup numbers in preparation for the fundraiser event.

Andie Balenger | Daily Press Cornell’s Jim Barron completes pushups in exchange for pledges to the Escanaba Class of 1959’s scholarship fund Wednesday night. Barron, who is 81 years old, completed 120 full-extention pushups over a spike-laden contraption in less than 25 minutes, going above and beyond his original goal of 100 pushups in 30 minutes.

“Last time I tried to see how many pushups I could do, I ended up in the emergency room at the hospital,” Barron said. “That was about five weeks ago.”

Despite all of this, Barron’s relentless motivation to stay in shape comes from his dream of joining the circus, hoping to one day debut his act at Circus Circus in Las Vegas. Barron recalled watching “The Big Top Circus” when it first aired on television in the 1950s, struck by the intricate high wire and trapeze acts. One of the acts on television was a “Muscle Man” who could do 100 quick pushups. The Muscle Man, and Barron’s love for the circus, inspired the “Pushups for Pledges” fundraiser event.

“I always knew I could do better than that Muscle Man could, so that is why I put the fishing spears on the push-up stand to challenge myself,” Barron said. “I figure the older I get, the better chance I have at getting into Circus Circus. There aren’t too many 80 year-old people who can do these kinds of things.”

Before embarking on the pushup challenge, Barron explained his motivation to the crowd of classmates, family, and neighbors who attended the event. In addition to honoring his recently deceased friends and proclaiming his circus goal, Barron also stated that he was advocating for elder health and fitness. According to Barron, staying active is the key to enjoying a long life.

“I am pushing for older people to be active. I am saying that everyone should at least do one pushup a day, especially if they are my age,” Barron said. “If it wasn’t for me being so active, I would have died many years ago.”

Barron broke the pushup challenge into segments, completing sets of 10 pushups before taking a break to recover and record his progress. Barron seemed to breeze through the first half of the challenge, with Plourde playing “Gonna Fly Now” by Bill Conti to motivate Barron as if he were Rocky Balboa.

“The fundraiser will not be official until I do 100 pushups,” Barron said. “I told everyone that I will collect nothing unless I do the 100 pushups because I want the pressure on me to do it.”

While Barron’s pace slowed in the ladder half of the challenge, he easily completed the 100 pushups in just 22 minutes. Unsatisfied with reaching 100, and despite being implored to take a water break by audience members, Barron continued on to complete another 20 pushups before his arms gave out. At the end of the challenge, and only having his pacemaker stop once, Barron completed 120 pushups in 25 minutes.

After stepping down from his pushup stand, Plourde asked Barron for any final words regarding the fundraiser event. His response was simple: “If I did, they might be my last.”

“Jim has been a resident of Cornell Township most of his life, and everyone knows him here,” Plourde said. “The Cornell Fire Department wanted to help him with his cause, and we saw it as a great opportunity to help raise money for education and scholarship.”

The “Pushups for Pledges” event raised over $1,000 for the Class of 1959’s scholarship fund. However, donations are still being accepted. Those interested in contributing can contact Plourde at 906-420-0022 or mail donations to 9912 River J.5 Ln. Cornell, MI 49818. Checks can be made payable to Escanaba Class of 1959.

“I never know what in the hell I am going to do next,” Barron said. “I am just always going and I never know where these feet are going to bring me.”