porcine secretive: Who's YOUR Big Bad Mudder? - Operation Muffin Top

Hey everyone! Sorry for being so unresponsive the last couple of months, but my schedule has been CRAZY. Between Varsity Soccer practices and games and doing all of my homework, I?ve barely had time to breathe. But I?m BACK!!

I first want to congratulate everyone who participated in this weekend?s Tough Mudder (including my parents). I know how much hard work and dedication you all must have put into it! (Not to mention how much sweat and body temperature you must have lost).

But on the topic of hard work and dedication, I want to talk about that application to sports. My dad always tells me that I have to put in the extra time and effort if I want to be good at something, and not rely on natural athletic ability.

Athletic ability can only get a person so far. It can prevent a person from passing out after running a mile, getting the basketball close to the hoop, or getting the soccer ball to lift a few feet off the ground. But it won?t prevent a person from passing out after running a marathon, getting the basketball to swish through the hoop, or getting the soccer ball to sail fifty yards and into the goal to score the winning goal of the FCIAC finals. That all comes from extra practice and hard work.

I learned that over time. As I gradually committed more and more time to sports, I learned that there were more people out there?like me. These are people who think that they will play in the NCAA or play Varsity as a freshman in High School, solely based on their natural athletic abilities. It?s hard to compete with people if everyone is only playing basketball two times a week at practice, and once on the weekends for a game. My dad told me that I needed to put in the extra work if I was going to be different from these girls. So I did.

Five years later, here I sit, still doing what I strove to do five years ago. I play basketball more times a week than is designated on my practice schedule. I work out by myself when I feel like I need to get stronger.

I find it really easy now to distinguish between athletes who rely on what they were born with and those who go the extra mile every day.

So once again, I want to commend the participants in the Tough Mudder. You all really are the epitome of what my last five paragraphs were about. Good for you guys!!

-Jamie K

2012 CF Tough Mudder Team