Thermopylae; the battle in which an enumerable amount of Persians opposed a mere 300 Greeks. While the Thermopylae obstacle course race may not consist of students attacking each other, the concept is similar. Each year, hundreds of students, teachers and volunteers gather at Valley Creek School, where they are faced with obstacles that they must conquer to successfully complete their conquest. Much like in real battle, the myriad of obstacles are anything but simple (while being immeasurably fun, as well!). You must crawl through mud-pits, execute war-machines, hurdle over walls and much more, all while completing an approximate 5k run.
In spite of this daunting description, every competitor leaves having completed the course. Just as many greek cities united to aid Sparta, despite their perpetual rivalry, adversaries dismiss their desire to win in order to support others. Even when you may believe that you are unable to continue, someone will be there to motivate you and encourage you to persevere. In fact, the most successful competitors are those who advance steadfastly, while also inspiring others; very much like the minuscule greek army, that battled until they were no longer able. It is in these trying moments that a person’s true character is revealed. Whether your goal is to win the tire (A.K.A. the trophy, of sorts) for your school, or simply to surpass your personal best, you will leave feeling a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment (as well as layers of caked dirt).
Despite the loss of the battle by the greek, the intransigent courage shown by the Spartans boosted the morale of all who fought with them. The importance of leaders and teamwork can’t be emphasized enough, today especially. The leader and the creator of this event is the marvellous Mr.Maher. He serves as a constant role-model and motivator, but could certainly lead rigorous training sessions for the Spartans, as well. He works incredibly hard year-round, particularly leading up to the event, in order to put into action the Thermopylae and prepare each athlete. Jim Rohn once said, “A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.”; Mr.Maher has definitely attained this objective.
The Thermopylae is a phenomenal event that tests your abilities, encourages a healthy lifestyle and provides you with a reason to roll around in mud! In addition to the amount and the size of the mud pits growing each year, the size and success of the event is greatly increasing. This year, 14 schools attended, bringing over 800 athletes. I have competed for three years and can say that simply participating in the race is something to be proud of.
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