Noah Galloway made history when he became not only the first double amputee but also the first above-the-knee amputee to compete on “Dancing With the Stars.”
After coming in third on Season 20 of the ABC dance competition despite never having danced before, the U.S. Army veteran is now setting even more exhilarating challenges for himself — such as competing in Tough Mudder races.
Galloway was recently joined by “Friday Night Lights” actor Zach Gilford on Venice Beach, California, to showcase some of the new daunting obstacles set to premiere in 2017.
Along with Harlem Globetrotter Bull Bullard, Kyle “Coach” Railton and Eric “ERock” Botsford, they braved the pouring
Having lost his left arm above the elbow and his left leg above the knee while serving in Iraq in 2005, Galloway slipped into depression when he returned to America and went on to battle both alcohol and prescription pills.
However, getting back into fitness with the help of prosthetic devices made him mentally strong again as well as physically, he told TheWrap.
After realizing he could still compete on par with able-bodied athletes, Galloway signed up for a Tough Mudder — then another and another. “The camaraderie, the challenges that come with the obstacles, I’m clinging to it,” he said.
The core essence of the Tough Mudder philosophy is helping everyone around you get to the finish line — whether it’s pulling them out of a dumpster of ice water or surviving the Electroshock Therapy. At first Galloway relied on other runners to help him get over the obstacles, but after a while he realized he could get over them on his own — and then went from strength to strength.
Tough Mudders were first launched by Will Dean, a former member of the British government counter-terrorism for the British government, and Guy Livingston when they were completing their MBAs at Harvard Business School in 2010.
After promoting their first race exclusively through Facebook, they’ve since had 2.5 million competitors brave their courses in six different countries.
See details of the new obstacles below:
“Pyramid Scheme” — Presented by Merrell, even with an added strip of Merrell’s stickiest rubber sole rolled across the middle of the obstacle, this challenge requires teamwork as participants must climb and push their way up, essentially work to create a human pyramid as they ladder over one another up this slippery incline in order to complete this obstacle.
“Kong” — Debuting as the finish obstacle at all 2017 Tough Mudder events, at over 25 feet high, this obstacle will have participants swinging like Tarzan, traversing from one floating ring to another with increasing distance between them.“Augustus Gloop” — Participants must enter into a chest-deep pit of water before climbing up a vertical tube. As they attempt to ascend through the confined tube, they’ll be fighting off a waterfall as it gushes down on them from above.“Stage 5 Clinger” — At nearly 20 feet high, Stage Five Clinger requires participants to navigate a series of ladders and monkey bars to traverse across while at a 90-degree angle.