MONROE - Alanna Bader has trained hard as a swimmer for Ball State University. But she said even her rigorous workouts didn't prepare her for the Tough Mudder Wisconsin event at Devil's Head Resort.
Bader, a 2007 Monroe graduate, was the only female on a team of six to finish the Tough Mudder race July 23 in Merrimac.
The Tough Mudder event is a 10-mile, endurance road race that features mud and 25 different obstacles. The 10 to 12 mile obstacle courses are designed by British Special Forces to test strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie.
Bader, who graduated from Ball State, said the toughest part of the run was the 10,000 volt electrical wire she had to run through at the end of the event.
"I got through it, but I was hurting," Bader said. "That's the one I was really scared to do. Swimming I have done all my life. I didn't think I was going to be able to finish because 10 miles is a long way. It's definitely one of the most challenging things I have ever done. There are not many girls who compete in the race. That was an accomplishment."
On average, 78 percent of participants finish. Bader ran on a team that also featured Monroe graduates Brandon Miles, Jordan Everson and Black Hawk graduate Grant Roper.
Brandon Miles' father, Randy organized the team.
"We all just wanted to finish," said Brandon, who graduated from Monroe in 2007 and has one more semester left at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. "It was really for the camaraderie. You really wanted to help every mudder finish even if they weren't on your team.
Brandon said the most challenging obstacles were the two 12-foot walls he had to climb and the freezing water in a Jacuzzi he had to maneuver through.
Tough Mudder has raised more than $1 million for the Wounded Warrior project, which supports the needs of service men and women.
Bader, a 2007 Monroe graduate, was the only female on a team of six to finish the Tough Mudder race July 23 in Merrimac.
The Tough Mudder event is a 10-mile, endurance road race that features mud and 25 different obstacles. The 10 to 12 mile obstacle courses are designed by British Special Forces to test strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie.
Bader, who graduated from Ball State, said the toughest part of the run was the 10,000 volt electrical wire she had to run through at the end of the event.
"I got through it, but I was hurting," Bader said. "That's the one I was really scared to do. Swimming I have done all my life. I didn't think I was going to be able to finish because 10 miles is a long way. It's definitely one of the most challenging things I have ever done. There are not many girls who compete in the race. That was an accomplishment."
On average, 78 percent of participants finish. Bader ran on a team that also featured Monroe graduates Brandon Miles, Jordan Everson and Black Hawk graduate Grant Roper.
Brandon Miles' father, Randy organized the team.
"We all just wanted to finish," said Brandon, who graduated from Monroe in 2007 and has one more semester left at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. "It was really for the camaraderie. You really wanted to help every mudder finish even if they weren't on your team.
Brandon said the most challenging obstacles were the two 12-foot walls he had to climb and the freezing water in a Jacuzzi he had to maneuver through.
Tough Mudder has raised more than $1 million for the Wounded Warrior project, which supports the needs of service men and women.
