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Tough Mudder: the hardest thing you Il ever do

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Whistler hosts the
world's toughest
obstacle course

By Elliot Chan, Staff Writer

(” June 22 and June 23,
participants in Whistler

Village will have an opportunity
to show just what they’re made
of in the annual Tough Mudder
event. Modeled after the British
Special Forces training camps,
the 10-12 mile long obstacle
course tests mental and physical
strength and stamina, and
challenges people with common
fears, such as fire, water, and
heights.

“It’s a great, well-organized
event,” said former participant
Ryan Mair. “It forces you to
challenge yourself and more
so, inspires you to help others
overcome their challenges. As
soon as you think you’re almost
done, you’re not. Tons of fun
and would recommend it to
all levels of athletes or people
looking to lead a healthier

lifestyle.”

The obstacles include
everything from climbing walls,
running through fire, to minor
electrocution. What some might
consider torturous, others see
as an opportunity to create
lasting memories and build
camaraderie to achieve a sole
goal of completing the course.

“Out of all the obstacles I’ve
heard about in Tough Mudder
the ice dunk is the one that
concerns me the most,” said
Tough Mudder newcomer Cody
Beatch. “It’s going to take some
big cojones to submerge yourself
into near-freezing water.”

While most wise
participants will have spent
many months preparing for
the grueling event, most would
agree that there are certain
parts of the obstacle course that
cannot be anticipated. “I’m in
above-average shape,” said
first-time participant, Michael
Ramos, “but there are some stuff
you can’t train for. The mental
side worries me a little, because
that is mind over matter stuff.
You think you are prepared for
anything driving up to Whistler,
but we'll see how I react once I

Straight facts

Robbie Rogers comes out

By Eric Wilkins, Staff Writer

here were no boos, cries of

derision, nor even a hint
of shouting. On May 26, when
Robbie Rogers stepped onto
the pitch as a 77th-minute
substitute for the Los Angeles
Galaxy, he did so to rapturous
applause. The Galaxy didn’t
need another difference
maker, seeing as they were
already up 4-0 over the visiting
Seattle Sounders, but Rogers
proved to be just that. But his
contribution was one that went
far beyond the game itself: by
participating in the Galaxy’s
match, Rogers became the first
active, openly-gay male athlete
in an American professional
sport.

The past few months
have been interesting for
Rogers. After being released
by Leeds United in January
of this year, he was free to

sign wherever he wanted.
However, instead of pursuing
anew deal, Rogers announced
that he was stepping away
from the game and that he was
gay. “I’m a soccer player, I’m
Christian, and I’m gay. Those
are things that people might
say wouldn’t go well together.
But my family raised me to be
an individual and to stand up
for what I believe in.” It was a

get there.”

Registration for the event
is going until June 17, so if you
want to grab a team, join an
existing one, or run the course
as an individual, you better
pick up the pace. Then again,
preregistration for 2014 Tough
Mudder is already open. If
you feel like you need more
training and want to commit
to something next summer, log
onto their website at http: / /
toughmudder.com.

The event will also include
a post-party and award show
with live music, contests, and
the carnival of tough. If you are
unprepared for such a trying
event, but still want to witness
it, spectators may buy tickets for
$20 online or $40 onsite.

Whether you have
something to prove or you're
just seeking a quality way to
past the time, Tough Mudder
is a growing event that is
attracting and inspiring people
across 20 nations.

yet though. After speaking at
a Nike Be True LGBT Youth
Forum in April, the former
USMNT winger started to
reconsider his early departure
from the game. “I seriously
felt like a coward. These kids
are standing up for themselves
and changing the world, and
I’m 25. [have a platform and a
voice to be a role model. How
much of a coward was I to

exist is a huge black mark

on society. A person’s sexual
orientation should never

be a cause for judgement.
Rogers’ coming out, and the
relatively positive reception
he’s received, is a huge step
in the right direction. While
NBA player Jason Collins also
revealed this year in a highly-
publicized issue of Sports
Illustrated that he was gay,

A persons sexual orientation should never be a cause for
judgement. Rogers coming out, and the relatively positive
reception hes received, is a huge step in the right direction.

courageous move for Rogers,
but it seemed somewhat
muted due to the fact that
his coming out was done
so following his retirement.
Nonetheless, he received a
massive outpouring of support
and became a beacon for gay
athletes.

His journey wasn’t over

not step up to the plate?” He
began training with the Galaxy
shortly after that. Then, in the
final move of his comeback,
the Galaxy acquired Rogers’
rights from the Chicago Fire in
exchange for Mike Magee.

In an ideal world, this
shouldn't even be a story. The
fact that homophobes still

Collins is currently a free agent
and may never play again.
Rogers has actually taken

to the field and participated

in multiple matches. He’s
proved that the world can

be accepting, and that all the
supportive talk for him off

the pitch was more than just
empty words.

 

 

Photo courtesy of The 621st Contingency Response Wing (Flickr)

Detractors will point out
that the MLS is merely the fifth
most popular league in the
States and that a gay NFLer
would cause infinitely more
waves, but they’re missing the
main idea. It’s been a gradual
climb for homosexual athletes;
it’s not a sprint. Case in point:
females have been coming
out for decades, but there’s
scarcely a peep about it in the
news when it occurs these
days. Tennis player Martina
Navratilova came out in
1981—that was 32 years ago.

The impact Rogers has on
professional sports may not
be fully recognized for years,
but the key point here is that
children of this generation
will grow up knowing that
there is a gay professional
athlete. Slowly but surely, the
realization that there’s nothing
wrong with being homosexual
will stop being a cause one has
to fight for, and start being that
which it should have been all
along: perfectly acceptable.

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