Heights, water, jumping from heights into water. This obstacle has all the fears - all its missing is a hoard of snakes living in the water! Walk The Plank can be as mentally tough as Electric Eel. Don’t take this one too lightly, because as you will find out, it gets quite high up there!
Obstacle: Walk The Plank
Objective: Climb up the 5 metre high platform, and jump off straight down into the murky muddy water below. Swim to the edge, climb out and you’re done.
Difficulty: Physical - 2/10 | Mental - 8/10
One of the easier physical challenges at any Tough Mudder event. Climbing up the back of the platform is simple, and jumping off into the water below is (physically) easy too. Where this obstacle gets most people, is the height, or just the jumping/falling into the water many metres below you.
Just like Boa Constrictor, all you need to do is take the plunge – literally. You will fall for a second or two, then hit the water. After being submerged for a couple seconds, you will reach the surface, and easily swim to the edge of the obstacle. Note – those who can’t swim/are not very sure swimmers are advised to bypass this obstacle. I am 100% against skipping an obstacle, but if you can’t swim, then it’s a no brainer. Don’t get into the water!
Objective: Climb up the 5 metre high platform, and jump off straight down into the murky muddy water below. Swim to the edge, climb out and you’re done.
Difficulty: Physical - 2/10 | Mental - 8/10
One of the easier physical challenges at any Tough Mudder event. Climbing up the back of the platform is simple, and jumping off into the water below is (physically) easy too. Where this obstacle gets most people, is the height, or just the jumping/falling into the water many metres below you.
Just like Boa Constrictor, all you need to do is take the plunge – literally. You will fall for a second or two, then hit the water. After being submerged for a couple seconds, you will reach the surface, and easily swim to the edge of the obstacle. Note – those who can’t swim/are not very sure swimmers are advised to bypass this obstacle. I am 100% against skipping an obstacle, but if you can’t swim, then it’s a no brainer. Don’t get into the water!
How to Complete: Not much needs to be said here. All you do on this obstacle is climb the ladder, wait your turn up the top, and jump off when the volunteer says go. Don’t jump too soon, as it’s dangerous to do so, and don’t take too long up the top, as the longer you wait, the more you will psych yourself out. There is not climbing back down the ladder to the ground. Once you are up there, its jump off or live up there for the rest of your life!
Try to see how far you can jump, or do a flip or something cool like that. The crowds at this obstacle always love that sort of stuff!
Training: No training is needed for this obstacle, unless you are a poor swimmer. If this is the case, learn to swim. Pretty much every kid is taught how to swim when they are younger, so I don’t see “not being able to swim” being a factor for this obstacle.
Our take: There has been a lot of talk recently about an incident that happened at a Tough Mudder event in West Virginia a year ago. A 28 years old man jumped off the Walk The Plank obstacle, and while in the water another participant landed on his head. He was pulled from the water “limp, lifeless and foaming at the mouth”. After 42 minutes his heartbeat was restored and was taken to the local hospital, and later to a regional hospital. His family took him off life support the next day.
The man’s mother filed a lawsuit just recently against Tough Mudder, claiming they had “[taken] too long for a rescue diver on site to search for [the man], and the race officials took too long to summon an ambulance.”
I have read multiple reports from many witnesses regarding this incident. Many say that what the Mother is claiming is true, others are saying that it was an accident and no one is to blame, and many others are just making wildly false accusations.
Tough Mudder have not been responding or commenting on this subject, but they have said they’ve reviewed safety procedures and found them to be satisfactory, and that none of the rescue staff were disciplined. The Berkeley County sheriff’s office who investigated the death declined to file criminal charges.
The mother is also suing General Mills (maker of Wheaties Cereal) which is advertised on the obstacle, the company that hired the diver Airsquid Ventures of California, and Peacemaker Nation Training Centre, the shooting range where the event was held. I don’t know much about the law, but I am quite confused as to why the family has lawsuits against anyone but Tough Mudder. I mean, a lawsuit against the sponsor of the obstacle just because they have a big Wheaties poster on it?
There has been a lot of bad publicity for Tough Mudder since this incident, but quite a lot has come from misinformed people, who have never attempted a Tough Mudder event, let alone know much about it. All us Mudders know we sign a “Death Waiver”, but in all honesty, that is quite a bit for show and publicity. Yes it does protect them for minor things, but doesn’t protect them for death incidents. Everything I’ve just written have come from the facts straight from the lawsuit, so I deem it to more truthful than the other pages ranting about how unsafe Tough Mudder is, and how it’s a death trap.
That all being said, I have completed 6 Walk The Planks to date, and have yet to feel unsafe, or worried at all on this obstacle (or any others for that matter). Don’t let any of the above information scare you or put you off. That was a freak accident, and with well over a million participants in Tough Mudder events worldwide, 1 (extremely sad and unfortunate) death shouldn’t deter you from completing this obstacle or a Tough Mudder event. I just hope personally that all this is sorted quickly, the family are happy with the outcome, and everyone can move on. I’m sick of seeing on twitter daily about the death trap that is Tough Mudder, when this is not the case.
Try to see how far you can jump, or do a flip or something cool like that. The crowds at this obstacle always love that sort of stuff!
Training: No training is needed for this obstacle, unless you are a poor swimmer. If this is the case, learn to swim. Pretty much every kid is taught how to swim when they are younger, so I don’t see “not being able to swim” being a factor for this obstacle.
Our take: There has been a lot of talk recently about an incident that happened at a Tough Mudder event in West Virginia a year ago. A 28 years old man jumped off the Walk The Plank obstacle, and while in the water another participant landed on his head. He was pulled from the water “limp, lifeless and foaming at the mouth”. After 42 minutes his heartbeat was restored and was taken to the local hospital, and later to a regional hospital. His family took him off life support the next day.
The man’s mother filed a lawsuit just recently against Tough Mudder, claiming they had “[taken] too long for a rescue diver on site to search for [the man], and the race officials took too long to summon an ambulance.”
I have read multiple reports from many witnesses regarding this incident. Many say that what the Mother is claiming is true, others are saying that it was an accident and no one is to blame, and many others are just making wildly false accusations.
Tough Mudder have not been responding or commenting on this subject, but they have said they’ve reviewed safety procedures and found them to be satisfactory, and that none of the rescue staff were disciplined. The Berkeley County sheriff’s office who investigated the death declined to file criminal charges.
The mother is also suing General Mills (maker of Wheaties Cereal) which is advertised on the obstacle, the company that hired the diver Airsquid Ventures of California, and Peacemaker Nation Training Centre, the shooting range where the event was held. I don’t know much about the law, but I am quite confused as to why the family has lawsuits against anyone but Tough Mudder. I mean, a lawsuit against the sponsor of the obstacle just because they have a big Wheaties poster on it?
There has been a lot of bad publicity for Tough Mudder since this incident, but quite a lot has come from misinformed people, who have never attempted a Tough Mudder event, let alone know much about it. All us Mudders know we sign a “Death Waiver”, but in all honesty, that is quite a bit for show and publicity. Yes it does protect them for minor things, but doesn’t protect them for death incidents. Everything I’ve just written have come from the facts straight from the lawsuit, so I deem it to more truthful than the other pages ranting about how unsafe Tough Mudder is, and how it’s a death trap.
That all being said, I have completed 6 Walk The Planks to date, and have yet to feel unsafe, or worried at all on this obstacle (or any others for that matter). Don’t let any of the above information scare you or put you off. That was a freak accident, and with well over a million participants in Tough Mudder events worldwide, 1 (extremely sad and unfortunate) death shouldn’t deter you from completing this obstacle or a Tough Mudder event. I just hope personally that all this is sorted quickly, the family are happy with the outcome, and everyone can move on. I’m sick of seeing on twitter daily about the death trap that is Tough Mudder, when this is not the case.
So this edition of the Obstacle Series got quite serious towards the end there! I hope you all took out some positives from it though. To lighten the mood, here are some photos of the obstacle which you all will be tackling at your next Tough Mudder event!
Remember a new Obstacle Series post will be live every Tuesday and Friday, featuring a new obstacle with tips on how to overcome it, how to train for it, and what to expect. For something a little different, this Fridays Obstacle Series will be written by a special guest writer. Find out what obstacle will be covered, and by who on Facebook and Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog to never miss a post!
5 weeks until Sunshine Coast Tough Mudder! See you then Mudders! Hoo Rah!
#TMTour2014
5 weeks until Sunshine Coast Tough Mudder! See you then Mudders! Hoo Rah!
#TMTour2014