Page 20 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 22

20 sportsenergynews.com

Dragonfly Web Creations
Unisex Hairstyling �rag������bc��ea�i�n�

Proprietor - JORGE LUIS Custom Web Design

1380 Second St., East W� t��� ��i�� �� � j�� ���� d���. BLUE BEACON OF CORNWALL
Division of Canclean Financial Corp.
Eastcourt Mall TRANSPORT TRUCK WASHING
CORNWALL
Get 10 cuts and your 11th is FREE! Tel: 613-938-3868 • Fax: 613-938-3812
613-933-2632 www.dragonflywebcreations.com 820 Tollgate Road, CORNWALL

Are You a Tough Mudder?

By Terry Tinkess and warm when I went in, but it woke
me up. I was definitely wide-awake

o you think you’d like to run when I got out.” .
Dup and down ski hills, dive into Would he do it again? “Definitely,”

freezing ice water, climb over 12 ft. he says without hesitation. “In fact I
walls, wade through mud up to your already have plans to do so.”
chin and charge through a curtain of
electric wires designed to give you a One thing that is stressed in the event
is that it is a challenge, not a race, and
bit of a charge, all for a headband, a

beer and the satisfaction of knowing that the goal is for everyone to finish
(typically 78 per cent of participants
you did it? If that sounds like your

idea of fun, then you might just be a do finish.) It’s not always the people
Tough Mudder! you know that lend a helping hand
either. Perfect strangers help each
Tough Mudder is a 10-12 mile other, and many competitors, after
endurance challenge designed to completing the event, return to the
test overall endurance, mental and obstacles to help others make it over
physical strength, stamina and the top.
determination. They are held in
Aside from the opportunity to see
various locations worldwide, and in
2014 there are more than 55 scheduled how far you can push yourself and the
camaraderie that is a core component
events. Since 2010 there have been Success in an event like Tough Mudder is dependent as much on mental
more than 100 events and on average strength as it is on physical. If you can keep smiling while covered with of the event, Tough Mudder events
each event has between 10,000 and mud while running up a ski hill under a blazing sun, you’re well on your have raised more than $6 million
15,000 participants. The event that way. Photo by Terry Tinkess in support of the Wounded Warrior
recently took place north of Toronto project, an initiative that assists
had 13,000 participants over the two diffi cult to do when your body tells submersion, before climbing out the veterans in the transition from their

days and 2,000 paid spectators. you it just wants to lay down and go other end. It was originally thought time in the combat zone to their return
to sleep. of as an “equalizer, “ since the cold home. It’s a good fi t, because Tough
The event took place at the Mount water would have a similar effect Mudders leave no one behind.
St. Louis/Moonstone Ski resort in He says there were a number of on everyone. Rather than slowing
Coldwater, Ontario, near Barrie and reasons why he wanted to become him down, Walker says it gave him For more information on Tough
among those that wanted to challenge a Tough Mudder: some friends and a boost. “I was feeling kind of tired Mudder, visit their website at
themselves that day were a number family members were going to do it toughmudder.com.
of area residents. , it sounded like fun, and it’s always
good to see just how much you can
The event ran on both Saturday, do.
August 16 and Sunday, August 17,
and those that chose the Sunday Of all the events, Walker says that
event certainly made the right choice the Berlin Walls was the toughest for
as rain fell for most of the day on him. This obstacle had the participants
Saturday. But while the sun was out going over not one, but two 12-foot
on Sunday, the mud definitely didn’t walls constructed of wooden planks.

disappear overnight. Spectators and “If you didn’t get a good jump you
participants alike spent a lot of time won’t make it,” says Walker. They
“slip, sliding away.” were pretty tall, and it was kind of
awkward getting over once you got
Lunenburg resident Brad Walker,
to the top.”
20, a second-year Electrical
Engineering Technician student at The one he says enjoyed the most
Algonquin College was one of a bore the name “The Arctic Enema,”
group of young people that made which is essentially a dumpster-like
the trek to Moonstone, and one who, container fi lled with ice and water. If you are going to make it over two twelve-foot walls, one after the
for the most part managed to keep a You need to swim through the ice other, you’re going to need to get a pretty good jump. For Brad Walker,
smile on his face, something that is and under a plank, which forces full this was the most grueling obstacle. Photo by Terry Tinkess