• Article Photo. Ice water dive: When Eric Dickinson told Jeff Peterson about Tough Mudders, Jeff said: Count me in.
    Ice water dive: When Eric Dickinson told Jeff Peterson about Tough Mudders, Jeff said: Count me in.
  • Article Photo. 'Sounds like fun,' said Ryan Davis, when Eric Dickinson told him about Tough Mudders.
    'Sounds like fun,' said Ryan Davis, when Eric Dickinson told him about Tough Mudders.
  • Article Photo. Shocking conclusion: Tough Mudder course ends with a run through wires attached to car batteries.
    Shocking conclusion: Tough Mudder course ends with a run through wires attached to car batteries.

"What do you think?" asked Eric Dickinson, as he told Jeff Peterson and Ryan Davis of his latest fitness adventure.

Dickinson had told them of an event where the participants swim through a large bin filled with brightly colored ice water, run through fire, dash through a line of live electrical wires, climb a 12-foot wall, and face 25 other obstacles over a 12-mile course. 

He had seen videos and photos of the event, called Tough Mudders. At first, he thought the participants were crazy. But the more Dickinson saw, the more appealing it became.

Finally, he decided to see if he could find a team of other people willing to try those challenges for the very first time. He first asked Peterson and Davis.

"Count me in," said Peterson.

"Sounds like fun," said Davis.

"They said yes a lot faster than I did," said Dickinson. 

Tough Mudders,  he explained, is not a race, but a team effort to finish an obstacle course.

Helping Wounded Warriors

There is a purpose to this event, beyond the challenges of facing bizarre and painful obstacles. Tough Mudders has raised $2 million in recent years for the Wounded Warrior Project, which helps severely injured soldiers, particularly those returning from Afghanistan or Iraq.

Dickinson said one of the most inspiring things he has seen is videos of soldiers with one or even two prosthetic legs or arms completing the Tough Mudder course.

"This event is supposed to be benefiting them, but there they are, doing it," he said.

Dickinson, Peterson and Davis have recruited more than 20 others to be on their team, which they have dubbed Thunder and Lightning. The goal is for each team member to raise at least $150 in pledges for the Wounded Warrior Project. Three team members have raised $1,000 or more; Dickinson had raised $851 by Monday afternoon. The event takes place May 19.

Team members include a few women, as well. 

The team members continue to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project.  To make an online tax deductible donation to Wounded Warrior Project, click HERE. 

Click the links below for more information about Tough Mudders, and the Twin Cities event that team Thunder and Lightning is preparing for, as well as to the Wounded Warrrior Project site.

Tough Mudder

Twin Cities Tough Mudder

Wounded Warrior Project