(Photos provided by Dr. Chris Boyd)

Following two Tough Mudder events in both Illinois and Ohio recently, local students decided to get down and dirty in the spirit of teamwork here in Kosciusko County

Recently, students at Lakeview Middle School in Warsaw laced up their tennis shoes and took part in their own mudding event, titled “Tuff Mudder.”

“The idea came from the fact that we want PE to be relevant and engaging for our students,” stated Dr. Chris Boyd of LMS. “Sometimes fitness can become mundane, so if you mix it up with a bunch of different challenges – it becomes fitness in disguise.”

Boyd notes that students participated in fitness challenge weeks in early October so they could apply fitness skills to a test.

“In the fall for the past 12 years we have done a Triathlon, but when the YMCA moved, we no longer had access to a pool, so something had to take its place. The Tuff Mudder made perfect sense, so I began investigating different ways that we could do it.”

The event, which spanned just over a 5K course, was very demanding for students. Instead of pushing students to reach “personal bests” in terms of time and placement of completion, the event encouraged runners to help their peers and cooperate to overcome demanding obstacles. Hurdles included Aerobic and anaerobic laps carrying items such as logs, flipping tires 100 yards and a “tunnel of doom.” Students traveled through mud and struggled through feats of strength and endurance as a team.

“I wanted my students to know that with hard work, training and a strong belief in yourself – you can do anything. Our Tuff Mudder (a play on the traditional Tough Mudder that is copyrighted) is not a race, but an event that challenges all students no matter shape or size. I wanted to have an activity that built teamwork, demanded problem-solving, critical thinking and individual spirit and gumption.”

Boyd notes that the reception from students surrounding the event was very positive. Students were given a team colored wristband with “LMS Tuff Mudder 2015” on it. All eighth grade teachers assisted in supervision of the event with volunteers from DePuy as well as parents attending.

“Their favorite part was getting muddy and the obstacle course. There was something for everyone…Many students would have never competed or participated in such a physical event and now they can say they are ‘Tuff Mudders,'” states Boyd. “They saw for themselves how hard work and training does pay off. They saw and experienced the benefits of collaboration and teamwork. They experienced success in the physical realm… what more could I ask for?”