On April 19th, a group of Berwyn Firefighters made the trek to the Pocono Raceway to participate in a grueling, 11.5 mile Tough Mudder event. The event benefits the Wounded Warrior Project and combines lengthy runs with over 25 obstacles. The obstacles varied from crawling through mud-filled pits underneath barbed wire to plunging into 35 degree ice water. One of the most challenging obstacles, the Warrior Carry, required each person to carry their partner 100 yards, simulating the difficult situations our armed forces must endure each and every day. The event finished up with a run through a field of electrically charged wires of up to 10,000 volts. All this was done in weather that hovered around 45 degrees with 10-15 mph winds.

The group of six participants trained in all aspects of fitness including extensive cardio and upper body workouts in order to complete the challenging event. The charity, the Wounded Warrior Project, served as motivation to complete the event in order to assist and honor those brave members of our armed forces who have been wounded in action.

Congratulations to the six participants who completed the event in under three hours while performing each and every obstacle. The Berwyn Team, a combination of career and volunteer firefighters, included FF/Medics John Ardiff and David Weir, FF/EMT Josh Lichman, Assistant Chief Matt Valocchi, former Berwyn FF/EMT Jason Brenner, M.D., and Tim Smith, brother-in-law of FF/Medic Ardiff.