FITNESS. FASHION. FOOD.
Are you tough enough?
By Nikeh Gray
More than just an ordinary obstacle course, Tough Mudder, designed by British Special Forces, challenges the toughest of the tough. Do you think you’re tough enough, physically and mentally, for the premier adventure challenge?
Founded in 2010, there are now 130 annual Tough Mudder events in 11 countries. With three million participants worldwide, the globally successful obstacle course is designed to take you out of your comfort zone.
The endurance event requires participants to take on a 10-12 mile obstacle course, littered with mud, fire, tunnels and nets. Not an ordinary mud run, the experience will test your strength, grit and stamina, forcing you to go over, around and through your fears.
With teamwork and camaraderie being an integral part of Tough Mudder, 95% of the people who attend register as part of a team, attracting a mix of friends, families, work colleagues, students and executives.
For Sheriff Oladipupo, 30, sales assistant, Tough Mudder seemed like an easy way to display his strength. Visiting the gym at least three times a week, sometimes twice in one day, Oladipo took on the Tough Mudder challenge with a team of friends, twice.
“I go to the gym all the time, so it was another challenge for me, and I loved it!
“There was one point I wanted to give up, I wanted to turn back but there’s no turning back…
“My friends kept telling me ‘come on you can do it, you’re almost there’, even though they wanted to give up too.
“It’s all about helping each other complete the obstacles, and having fun”, he said.
Sheriff Oladipupo (Right), with a friend at Tough Mudder 2014
Not all participants have high fitness levels like Oladipupo. Attempting the Tough Mudder challenge for the first time, Natalie Coleman, 38, event stylist, has started waking up at 4.30am to train for the 5k obstacle course in July.
“Tough Mudder is something different and I’m going to have to train differently and be more focused.
“I know I’m not at my best, ultimate peak fitness so I thought to myself ‘what can I do to challenge myself?’
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“It’s a good milestone to work towards, I want to get into good shape and this will help me to focus.
“There’s an element of ‘I want to prove to myself I can do it’, for me it’s a personal goal”, said Coleman.
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If you would like to test your stamina or set a new personal goal, why not take on the Tough Mudder challenge.
You can find obstacle courses stretching across the UK, from Scotland to London. But hurry, prices for the best mud run in the world will increase on 10th May 2018, sign up and show the world how tough you are!