10,000 Volts; Tough Mudder, a Sponsor of the Wounded Warrior Project

Tough Mudder is a worldwide company that sponsors events for athletes, military personnel, or anyone else who dares to give it a go. The course designs are created by the British Special Forces. The goal is to bring out the best in someone by encouraging solidarity, confidence, and strength.

Tough Mudder is a proud sponsor of the Wounded Warrior Project™ (WWP), a not for profit organization that assists wounded members of the military and their families. In fact, WWP has enjoyed about $3 million USD in Tough Mudder donations as of July, 2012.

In February of 2012, I was able to attend a Tough Mudder event myself. The participants were offered many gifts for their participation. Each participant had to pay a registration fee, and each spectator was required to purchase an entry ticket. As you can see on the video, it was a fun event to watch.

The mission of this organization is, “To honor and empower wounded warriors.” They do exactly that.

Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit organization designed to help our Military men and women recover from the horrors of war. WWP was established in 2002 by a group of men in Roanoke, Virginia, headed by John Melia.

This fantastic organization provides for the needs of our wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Guardsmen. The WWP does this in several ways including:

• Donations
• 8K Runs
• WWP Store

U.S. Veteran’s CrisisLine

1-800-273-8255 and Press 1

A Tough Mudder can be anyone who is tough enough to participate in the Tough Mudder obstacle courses and races. The race I saw in Georgia included people of all races, ages, and sizes. From the smallest girl to the largest man, the one character trait that dominated the course was courage.

It takes a lot to be a Tough Mudder. Physical, mental, and emotional strength is necessary to participate in the race. It takes true grit for someone to finish one of these obstacle courses. In addition to the demanding requirements to participate, I noticed that most of the Tough Mudders had a great sense of humor. Many teams were dressed in a silly fashion or to identify their teams. Some dressed up as ballerinas, some as clowns. I saw warrior paint and dresses. There were rubber masks, glitter, and balloons. These Tough Mudders were creative as well as being tough.

The Tough Mudder obstacle courses are generally somewhere between 10 and 12 miles long. Not only is it important that you are in great physical shape, but balance, teamwork, and psychological strength are also a must in order to survive. The trail is full of challenges including:

• Wall climbing
• Low crawling
• Swimming in ice water
• 10,000 volt electrocution
• Jumping hurdles
• Swinging, balancing and climbing ropes
• Rock climbing

Many of these obstacles require team work. Some Tough Mudders make friends and partners during the race. However, most of them come as teams of at least two, but usually more.

I encourage everyone to visit a Tough Mudder event. It is an incredible experience. Whether you are participating in the obstacle course or merely a spectator, you are guaranteed a memorable time with the pleasure of contributing to an awesome cause, the Wounded Warrior Project.