You know those guys on the beach with all those muscles and the attitude to match?
Jeff Malek is not one of those guys. Sure, he's got the muscles. Dude looks like an action figure come to life.
But the attitude? The guy's a role model for good behavior. He's as respectful and courteous as they come.
And now Malek, born in the Basque region of France and once a member of the Special Forces branch of the French military before playing football for 11 seasons with the French national team, has a new passion.
Obstacle courses.
Actually, just one obstacle course. It's his own and it's brand new and in the hills just west of Penticton. And with the assistance of his wife and a few friends, he spent much of 2024 turning it into reality.
Mostly by hand. Which, when you're talking about Malek, isn’t all that surprising.
And now it’s open. And he wants everyone to know about what he calls the "largest obstacle course in Canada."
Malek's focus on Penticton and ultimately the obstacle course he's just created, which is formally known as the "Okanagan Warriors Adventure Obstacle Course," began in 2020 when, as a resident of Quebec, he learned of the Okanagan and ventured here during a four-month road trip.
In 2022, he moved to Penticton permanently.
"The weather, the scenery, and the nature, these are the reasons I moved here," he told PentictonNow. "And professionally with Okanagan Warriors Adventure, I thought it's the best place to build such a project that could be used all year long."
Malek, who's spoken French all his life and is currently doing his best to master English, brought his business here with him.
It's called "MLK Abilities" (the three consonants from his last name – a nod to his time in the military) and it combines elements from survival courses, tactical courses, boot camps, general workouts and women-specific self-defense and situational awareness courses into a multi-pronged program Malek contends is designed to "help you master your body and mind."
But the concept of building a "military-grade" obstacle course, using his own years in the army and experience and fascination with Spartan races (essentially timed obstacle courses) as a guide, never went away.
Indeed, it was buoyed even further when Malek met a highly supportive PIB member not long after arriving who eventually leased him 11 acres of land near Marron Valley Road, just north of Hwy 3A connecting Kaleden with Keremeos.
"She helped me realize my dream," said a grateful Malek as he stood in the midst of his creation last week.
"And it is my dream. It's the money from my grandma. She passed away and I decided to invest it here for the people. I want to honour her and my family."
By April of this year, Malek was clearing the land. By mid-June, he'd taken delivery on most of the raw material and was building the course.
He had some help. Like friends Celine Nativel and David Mullner of Penticton's Maison Mulnati chocolate shop. And new wife Stephanie Carlton of Penticton, who's clearly a big part of everything he does. And of course a wee bit of machinery here and there.
But in keeping with the the Malek brand, he did much of the heavy lifting, the piecing together of key elements, the anchoring of massive timbers, and even the welding himself.
"I had to wake up at four in the morning because it was so hot," smiled Malek. "But generally I'd do ten to 16-hour days."
Currently, his obstacle course features 24 obstacles and plenty of space in between them. And it’s serious stuff. All the obstacles are challenging and unique, and they all look exceedingly resilient.
"My favourites are the cargo net, the ramp, the tire vines, the spools, the spear throw, the wall and rope climbing," said Malek, who's quick to add that the facility, as tough as it seems, is newbie- and family-friendly.
"It looks like a competition, but it’s not," he said. "You come to have fun. People can come with their kids and go with them through the obstacles and create connections.
"This is what I want to do – create connections with people, nature and themselves."
And his facility, tucked away on land that seems light years from civilization, still has more to come.
"What you see here is just the first level," said Malek. "There are 24 obstacles here, and there'll be 20 for Level 2 and 17 for Level 3.
"Each will be increasingly technical. I want to welcome people from Search and Rescue, Army Cadets, Scouts and firefighters."
In the meantime, Malek wants folks to enjoy Level 1. And there several ways to do that.
Currently, the most popular option is the two-hour session. It runs $45 per adult and includes supervision.
"It's two hours and we show you everything," said Malek. "You get techniques for the first hour, and the next hour you do it yourself and you do it as many times as you want."
There are numerous other "experiences," including an eight-obstacle, $25 "Dog Course" for canines and owners, and a two-hour supervised "Commando Kids" session for children five to nine years of age that's priced at $25.
There are group boot camps too, with stuff like survival training, orienteering races and the like. Malek figures he'll cater to birthday parties, bachelor and bachelorette parties, business team-building events, sport team get-togethers, and much more.
Wearable action cameras will also be available sometime in the future.
For the time being, the facility offers a limited menu of energy bars, "healthy drinks," and water. They plan to upgrade that in the future, though anyone thinking of visiting wouldn't be wrong to bring along their own nutrition/refreshments as well. It’s beautiful but somewhat remote up there.
Speaking of which, prospective guests can expect a trek of approximately a half hour from Penticton to the site.
To get there, take Hwy 97 south to the Keremeos turn-off, head west along Hwy 3A to Marron Valley Road, a dirt road that branches off to the right, then follow the Okanagan Warriors Adventure signs along a series of dirt roads until you arrive. Parking is free.
The facility is open seven days a week, a policy Malek hopes to keep alive through the year.
To learn more, go to the Okanagan Warriors Adventure website here. To book a session in advance (highly recommended), hit the reservations page here.
"Guests will have fun here," said Malek as we ended our visit. "But it’s more than that. I hope to change people.
"I want to give them something other than just hiking and biking and let them come here and reconnect…with someone like me to guide them."
