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Tough Going
The obstacle course known as the Tough Mudder, in Stow, Vt.,
is billed as “probably the toughest event on the planet,” and while
the organizers may be engaging in a bit of hyperbole, it’s certainly
no walk in the park. The 12- to 15-mile trail run, featuring more
than 20 military-style obstacles, was designed by the British
Special Forces and has been compared to Marine Corps basic
training. Participants submit to the grueling race to raise money
for the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides assistance to
severely injured veterans returning from active duty.
This past May, James Koehler, right, and Rachel Misuraca,
center, both D13 students in the military’s Health Professions
Scholarship Program (HPSP), took on the Tough Mudder, finishing in
four hours, accompanied by Koehler’s childhood friend (and soon-tobe
best man) Adam Gaudreau, left. Both Koehler and Misuraca will
be commissioned as U.S. Army officers upon graduation next spring.
“Everybody wants to show up at basic training and be able to run
whatever they tell you,” says Koehler. “[In this photo], we’re helping
Rachel, but there were plenty of times when we were helping other
people, and other people were helping us. It’s not really a race—
it was all about the cause, and the teamwork.”
photo: rob mattson