On June 7th, a team of 8 warriors from Sculpt Fitness took on their biggest challenge yet, the Tough Mudder New England. Tough Mudder has become an international event, with nearly 100 different courses, held in over 5 countries each year. The organization has had almost 2 million participants, and benefits the Wounded Warrior Project. Since its inception in 2010, Tough Mudder has donated over $6.5 million to the cause.
Mostly first-time “Mudders,” Team Sculpt persevered through several months of cardiovascular, muscular, and mental training before heading north to the Mt. Snow course in Dover, VT. Led by Team Captain Dave Nichols, new to this challenge himself, this group of motivated athletes climbed nearly 12 miles of rough and rocky terrain to the top of the green mountains. The most exciting portion of the event, the obstacles, took incredible physical strength and mental focus to complete. Designed by ex-military Special Forces, impediments like 10-foot walls, barbed wire, and of course, electric shocks, all required great teamwork and camaraderie. Most obstacles were nearly impossible to overcome without the help of others. Once atop a high wall, challengers quickly turned to lend a hand to those behind them. “At just about every station, you’d help someone that was really stuck,” said Jeff Wood, owner of Sculpt Fitness and first time competitor. “We wanted to challenge ourselves and our team, but sort of stepped back into the role of trainer in those cases. At one stop, a complete stranger in front of me was struggling to run up a 15-foot quarter pipe, but all she needed was a vote of confidence. Once I told her we believed in her and I wouldn’t take my turn until she ran to the top, she made it up on the very next try.”
The lengthy uphill battle against Mt. Snow was definitely the hardest challenge of the day. Even the fittest participants could be seen resting after hiking up the steep inclines. The downhill portions of the trail were almost as difficult, as challengers took careful steps back down the mountain, avoiding slips and injuries on the bumpy path. Tough Mudder isn’t a race in the traditional sense, however. It isn’t directly timed, although Team Sculpt kept track at four and a half hours, so they could return next year and finish in record time. “The point is to only compete with yourself, to either complete the challenge for the first time, or improve your performance from a past event,” said Captain Dave.
Team Sculpt’s exciting success at the Tough Mudder in Vermont marks the beginning of a muddy future, as they all vow to take on more challenges like this one. In fact, the team has already declared that they will take on the Long Island Tough Mudder course in August, as well as the Warrior Dash this October, held in Madison, CT. “This experience brought us all together as a team and as friends,” said Wood. “Now that we know what we should expect from the course and from ourselves, I’m even more confident than ever that we can perform even better next time!”