Augustus Gloop: a frenzied wade through chest-high water, followed by ascent through a slippery tube. Electroshock Therapy: a dash amidst dangling wires, each coursing with ten thousand volts. Cry Baby: literal tear gas. Devil’s Beard, Ladder to Hell, and Berlin Walls: just a few more perils awaiting athletes during the ten-to-twelve-mile Tough Mudder.
Team Samurai members don’t just subject themselves to these tribulations because they enjoy testing their mettle (and are a skosh crazy). They also do it for love.
“I founded Team Samurai in 2015 in memory of my father, who lost his battle to ALS five years earlier,” said Adam “Curious” Kobler. “The team went on hiatus because of the pandemic, and stayed on break while I took care of my life partner, Kate, after her diagnosis with stage 3 melanoma. I stayed by her side until the disease took her in November of 2023.
“But now we’re back, stronger than ever, and partnered with the National Cancer Institute, for which we intend to raise $5,000 for melanoma research at this year’s Tough Mudder in Lake Elmo.
“I’m grateful to everyone who wears the Tough Mudder colors – especially my great friend Davin Lillegard, whose help leading the charge has been invaluable – as well as our sponsors Associated Skin Care Specialists and Vespasian Technology, and each member of our community who makes Team Samurai’s mission possible.”
Join the fray by emailing Adam at teamsamuai@protagonist.life.