Of all the reasons I have for my love of obstacle course racing, I think the one that really sticks with me the most is its power to change lives. More than any other sport, activity, or what have you, OCR seems to propel people to new things. Naturally, I’m biased, but there’s something about the power of OCR that takes the physical effort, the closeness (or, for some people, reintroduction) to nature, the camaraderie, and the just sheer bravery and whips you into a new person in so many ways when you do one of these races.
A friend of mine posted an Instagram post on her Facebook page that I want to share with you: check it out here.
This story is exactly what I mean by the power of OCR. Jenny was afraid of this jump, and was planning to pass by this obstacle. But, with the help of a friend, she leapt into that dirty water and showed the world exactly what she is made of – and the fact that she’s still recalling it a couple of years later shows just how much it means to her.
Look at the smile on her face in the bottom right of the below collage:
Jenny is never going to forget this moment. it’s going to stick with her forever as the time she overcame her fears, pushed herself way out of her comfort zone, trusted in a friend, and came out changed forever.
This is why I want so much for people to try an obstacle course race. They really do change you, no matter who you are or where you’ve been. For some they bring you back to your past. For others, they give you a chance to get away from the softness of modern life, or to escape from its pressures and do something that is totally outside its comfy embrace. For many it’s all about the people they get to be around in a race – whether their own team or group of friends or just being around people who love to challenge themselves to such things.
But whatever your reason, doing an OCR is a big life-changer. Thanks to Jenny for letting me share her story a bit.
How about you? What transformative moments have you had in an OCR? Share on our message board!