A group of us from the SFU EMBA 2015-2017 cohort got together last year to do Grandfondo, the ride from Vancouver to Whistler, just a few months after graduation. Coming off from the high of that accomplishment, we immediately decided to plan our next challenge together. We felt like having the same drive and a common goal will keep us together throughout the year.
So yet another Whatsapp group was created for “Tough Mudder 2018”. We are still not sure whose crazy idea this was but we decided to sign up for the full course 10 Miler as opposed to the half and do the first mudd as we are a bunch of keeners!
We started with a big group but some had to drop out due to injuries and health issues. At the end, four of us ended up completing the event. It was a total blast as we went through 20+ obstacles, some super fun, some hard and some quite daring. We ran through mud, climbed up walls, went through tunnels, jumped in iced water and got electrocuted. You name it!
The story was the same story as any challenge! You need some physical strength and training of course, but mostly it is a mental game. It is the story of determination and willpower telling you that once you put your mind to something you can beat any obstacle.
There are still a few of us SFU EMBA alumni participating in this year’s Granfondo event coming up in September 2018. Once again, I am proud to be part of this inspiring group.
We hope to continue the legacy by having more events together in the years to come.
Hedieh Safiyari finished her executive MBA from SFU Beedie School of Business in 2017. She recently started a boutique management consulting firm called Prompt Health Inc. with a few classmates from the program helping start-ups in the healthcare space.