Community / Tough training finale for MRI tough mudder race
TWENTY five tough mudders will be heading for Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries on Thursday to take part in a gruelling 10 mile “extreme assault course” to raise money for an MRI scanner for the Gilbert Bain Hospital.
The event on Saturday, styled a “fitness and teamwork challenge” will drain the hardiest as it involves tackling 25 tortuous obstacles along the rough and ready route. They can look forward to celebrating afterwards with drinks, music and street food in the Mudder Village
The Shetland contingent have put in months of tough training at the Sands of Sound to get in shape for the tough mudder competition, with the last training session taking place in 10 degree temperatures on Saturday.
Team coach and ex-marine Lowrie Radley put his victims through their paces with a punishing round of sit ups, push ups, leapfrogs, barrow races and numerous other painful routines – including two dips in the frigid North Sea which were followed by rolling on the ground to warm up.
Accompanied by an appropriately motivational soundtrack, most of the team wore shirts emblazoned with LK71 – the number of the trawler Radiant Star, which is sponsoring the team’s ferry travel.
Organiser and tough mudder Amanda McDermott said: “We are a team of 25 folk who are trying to raise money for the MRI scanner so that folk can get their MRI scans in Shetland rather than flying to Aberdeen.
“We would really like to raise £25,000 towards the cost of the MRI scanner, which costs roughly £2 million.”
It is the latest fund-raising stunt for the scanner, which has already seen numerous benefit events since its launch. It is reckoned 600 visits to Aberdeen have to be made annually by isles patients for MRI scans
The team hope to complete the Drumlanrig course in about three hours and will be encountering “lots and lots of mud” as well as the feared “arctic enema”, which involves jumping into a large reservoir of ice cubes with no easy way out.
Another – “electric shock therapy” – involves running through lines of high-voltage electric cables while trying to dodge bales of hay.
About 20 of the 25 strong team are NHS workers and the rest are family and supporters who will take the chance to participate in this unusual event.
More information about the scanner appeal can be found here and the tough mudder scanner Facebook page is here.
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