Elianna Dimoulakis spent most of her late teens and early twenties working out at the gym. A little over a year and a half ago she began searching for a boot camp that would help give her the cross training workout she knew she needed.

After finding two camps that sounded good online, Camp Gladiator and Crossfit, Dimoulakis chose the one with the time that worked best with her schedule, Camp Gladiator.

“I remember panting during the first warm up and I was surprised because (A) I loved that push and (B) it is a challenge to keep my attention because I get bored easily,” she said.

Dimoulakis has been training at Camp Gladiator for a year and a half and raves about the results she has seen.

Camp Gladiator started in Dallas three years ago by Ally and Jeff Davidson.

Ally competed on the television show “American Gladiators” and won the grand prize of $100,000. She and Jeff created Camp Gladiator with the money they won to help other men and women get in shape.

“There are 100 DFW locations and 17,000 people are signed up for the camp that started today,” Mason Murphy, the regional director and head trainer for Camp Gladiator in Dallas, said.

Murphy was a friend of the Davidson’s when they first started Camp Gladiator and has been with them ever since. He trains members at Sorority Park every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.

“I have leaned out and am faster, quicker and stronger,” Dimoulakis, who trains with Murphy, said.

The camp prides itself on being a family and developing relationships between the members as well as between the members and trainers.

“Who we target for Camp Gladiator is not necessarily going to be elite athletes,” Andrew Tomaski, the head of Gladiator Games, said.

Since it first began, Camp Gladiator has spread to Austin, Houston, Waco, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minnesota and Shreveport. And Camp Gladiator has now added a new twist to its program, Gladiator Games.

Gladiator Games started three years ago and they run once a year. It is a way for people in the community to come out and challenge themselves with a daylong event.

It is an obstacle course, featuring over 25 different obstacles that will test participants’ strength, speed and endurance.

Some examples of what is on a typical obstacle course are low crawl obstacles, walls, monkey bars, balance beams, rock walls, tire obstacles and giant inflatable obstacles.

This year, on Oct. 1, Gladiator Games is coming to SMU’s Ford Stadium.

They are looking for men and women, typically around the ages of 18-35, who are looking for a new, fun way to test their fitness.

What is significant about this Gladiator Games is that it will determine the fastest and fittest students at SMU. There will be one female student and one male student winner who will then be considered the most in shape student on campus.