They arrive as kids and leave as conquerors.
Navy veteran Daniel Woods—the creative force behind St. Augustine-based obstacle course and training program Hildervat—has witnessed these evolutions firsthand.
Nervous youngsters gaze up at their first climbing wall as if confronting Kilimanjaro. But with each attempt, the doubts melt and the resolve hardens.
Soon, they’re on the other side of adversity— literally.
“Seeing kids tackle obstacles they never thought they could do—it’s a whole different kind of reward,” Woods told The Citizen. “They don’t have the fear or the doubts that adults might. They just dive in, and that’s what makes it so fun. It’s an opportunity to break down barriers and build themselves up.”
The fitness fundamentalist’s love of athletic challenges began in high school, where he ran track and swam. That passion continued to burn after he joined the military, where Woods was introduced to obstacle courses during training.
He would later test his mettle in grueling triathlons road races, always eager to probe the outskirts of his will.
After moving to Jacksonville and working as a wealth advisor, Woods was inspired to create a new type of obstacle course that incorporated the unique facets of his new environment.
“I started thinking, ‘What if we could bring obstacle racing to the beach?’” Woods said. “We’re used to races in the mountains or on flat terrain, but what about running through the sand, testing your strength in an entirely different way?”
That idea became a reality in 2020 when Woods held his first beach obstacle race at Jacksonville Beach.
The concept quickly flourished, with the event drawing advanced competitors from across the area. But with COVID beginning to limit activity and sponsorships, he retrenched.
Woods began designing obstacle courses tailored to kids. With the pandemic fading, he held his first youth race at First Baptist Church in Nocatee in 2023. He was floored by the demand, as 300 youngsters participated in the event.
“There is something instinctive about obstacle courses,” he said. “As kids, we play on monkey bars, we have no fear or qualms, we just get out there and do it. I don’t think that instinct goes away as we age. This is something that appeals to young kids and their parents as well.”
With the potential for his concept affirmed, Woods sought out a permanent location. Building and dismantling courses, he said, can be onerous. Creating a dedicated site would allow him to take the Hildervat brand to new heights.
After scouting properties, he settled on a location off CR214 in St. Augustine. The course is equipped with an evolving set of challenges that can be customized for everyone from the seasoned pro to the nervous tot.
An on-site 54-foot trailer contains all the materials needed to fashion his gauntlets.
“We’re going to have something for everyone,” Woods said. “It’s not just about the competition. It’s about building confidence, strength, and community.”
While he enjoys marveling at the feats of strength displayed by elite participants, Woods said his true gratification comes from watching a timid child find his inner Viking.
Hildervat, he explained, is a Norse term that evokes the tenacious spirit of the bygone seafarers.
Society, Woods said, is too quick to label kids who don’t take to organized sports as unfit for athletic competition.
“There are a lot of kids out there who aren’t necessarily interested in team sports,” he said. “They aren’t on the football team or the baseball team. Maybe they’re the smart kid in class or musically inclined. But there is an athlete in all of us.”
The same fortitude required to ace a geometry test, he said, can be applied to a pull-up bar.
“It really bothers me to see a kid pigeonholed,” he said. “We want to shatter that image. To see a kid get out there for the first time and can’t do a pull-up, to see them stick with it and succeed is really gratifying. We see true transformations, physically and mentally.”
The courses, he said, allow parents and their children to participate individually or in tandem, forging bonds out of strained muscles and common goals.
“We have fathers and sons out there on the obstacle course, mothers and daughters, every combination,” he said. “This has grown into something really beautiful, and it’s only going to expand from here.”
