UPM Putting the "Tough" in Tough Mudder

Here at UPM, we challenge our employees to jump out of their comfort zones, even if that means diving into a big pile of mud! On June 11^th 2016, 17 of our UPM employees and 16 families/friends of UPM, making a total of 33 participants (Wow!), completed the 2016 Tough Mudder Kentucky challenge consisting of an 11-mile race and 20 different obstacle courses. Some of the courses included huge mud pits, climbing over 12 foot wooden walls, and even running (and screaming) through an electric shock therapy pit! Now that’s tough! 

Waist Deep in Teamwork...and Mud

The Tough Mudder “emphasizes teamwork, camaraderie, and accomplishing something almost as tough as you are”, and boy did UPM accomplish this. We had employees from all over the country, including a couple folks from our La Mirada, CA facility, and from our specialty division, Plus Ten Stainless in Benicia, CA, come together for this event to show just how important teamwork is at UPM! Our own Ryan Getz (see top right picture of collage) shares his experience, “A few years ago I was out of shape and tired all the time, I just needed something to motivate me. After watching a promo video for the Tough Mudder I decided this was it! One year later I was waist deep in mud and water. I enjoyed the event so much I want to share it with everyone hoping it inspires them the same way it did me. I invited everyone at UPM Hamilton and the flood gates opened up. The support and participation from UPM made all the difference, turning a huge challenge into a team building event. I look forward to doing again in the future!” Ryan said it right. This event will be continued for many years to come!

Globally, The Tough Mudder has raised over $5 million for charities in the last 4 years. Their focus is on two different charities, Wounded Warrior Canada and Team Rubicon. The Wounded Warrior Project’s mission is “supporting ill and injured Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans, First Responders and their families” while Team Rubicon is a “nonprofit disaster response organization that mobilizes military veterans to support communities devastated by natural disasters” (https://toughmudder.com/fundraise-now). Their support of our service men and women helped fuel our spirits throughout the race.

Way to go to all of our UPM participants on getting their hands dirty and showing how committed to teamwork UPM is! Welcome to the Tough Mudder legionnaires club UPMUD Family!