By Cameron Skreden
This past weekend saw many SMU students get out of their comfort zones by entering and completing the Tough Mudder that was held here in Dallas. Encouraged by the APSM department (Applied Physiology and Sports Management) with reduced entrance fees and big involvement, many students ventured south of Dallas to attempt the nearly 12 mile obstacle course. I personally fielded a team which competed Saturday morning. My team of four had been preparing for this course for a couple of months at the time of the race and we were very excited to participate in Dallas’ Tough Mudder.
The course consisted of 11.5 miles of mud ridden obstacles based loosely off of British Special Ops training. Started off as a fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project, the concept is very cool: endure a fraction of what our troops’ training consists of. None of us had ever done something like this so we were very excited but definitely nervous. Being supported by many SMU student volunteers, we started our run enthusiastically. The course included 21 different obstacles that tested our mental grit and physical strength. For the next three hours, we enjoyed the camaraderie of one another as we crawled through mud and waded through the deep water.
One of my favorite moments of this grueling race was shortly after completing one of the most difficult obstacles during which I was greeted by SMU fans who recognized me and cheered me and my teammates on. At that point in the race, I truly did need the encouragement. However, this encouragement continued as saw many other friends, classmates and peers of mine. My team pushed through obstacle until we reached the satisfying end. For over 11 miles of work, we were rewarded with an official Tough Mudder headband and a beer.
This was one of my favorite experiences I have had during my senior year here at SMU. The amount of camaraderie and support that I felt from the SMU community was equally instrumental as they encourage us to push our limits. I was very happy to complete such a cool race that supports such an admirable cause.