Bay Vets do the Bad Ass Mucker

So the date was set……boot camps attended…..bones broken… and on Saturday 26th July at 12.30 the time had arrived!

It was time to get muddy!

The team consisted of Annaka and Jane (the six pack brigade) Gemma and Katie (the smiling assasins) Kirsty and Manii (the young guns) Ellie and Sophie (two mums on a mission) Jack and Lauren (the courting cavaliers) and queen of all action shots our Heather.

Even the clients were getting in on the action by baking lots of cake-amazing goodies for our muckers!

So what better way to start events than with a ‘warm up’ or a disco session which unfortunately was right in front of a burger van – not the best idea but at least it was in sight of the finishing line and would give you that extra ‘meat rush’ push!!

Annaka practising her ‘Thriller’ dance moves!

Hhhmm who can spot Heather..professional press upper?!?

This is a warm up Gemma not a ‘twerk up’

So once the warm up was complete which was a work out in itself the ladies and Jack made their way to the starting line, by this point as a spectator I was ready for a lie down…thistles, thorns and flip flops aren’t the best way forward, but that’s enough about my woes – they had a 10km obstacle course ahead of them in the baking hot sun!!Good Luck Everyone!!!

Take your marks…………..Get Set…………….GO!!!!

Katie and Ellie too busy chatting to notice!

……..and they are off!

So as we watched on from the bottom of the hill they set off running up it, crawled under a giant cargo net which I later found out was awful and set off on their journey. Look for the pink tshirts in sea of black…that’s our girls. Not the best way to start the course but I still think that once they disappeared over the hill there was a pub and really they stayed there for a few hours in the sunshine. I was all for going up there and checking myself but the flip flops wouldn’t allow it!!!

Can you spot the pink t shirts?

Once over the top I have had to rely on the teams stories so this is what they told me happened in the two and a half hours of mud sweat and tears until we saw them again!!

Somewhere round the mid-way point!!

Lauren Writes –‘There were around 28 obstacles in total including cargo nets to climb over and under, some very small tubes to crawl through and lots of mud! As well as large ‘structures’ to climb over, bogs and pools to wade and crawl through, the river Lune to cross twice, each member of the team helped haul each other round the course whether it be dragging, lifting or clattering in to them on the water slide.’

Thumbs up here from Lauren…

Heather writes –‘I remember lolling about like pigs in mud for the photographer! Also trying unsuccessfully to run with half a tree over my shoulder up a hill, around a vehicle and back. The ‘black widow’ saw us abseiling down a bank on rope netting. Felt like the tin-man trying to climb over what felt like a 10ft high sheet of ply…(obviously being a woman things got in the way) and then even higher bales of straw. Favourite was the Shriner skip of water for a cool down, the huge water slide and the Lune crossing. We crawled up hill, under a net, had to climb through a web of ropes, each of three mud pools got thicker and thicker. Then finally the scary bales like total wipe out balls except you didn’t bounce and the half pipe thing that took me three publicly humiliating attempts to conquer!!

And still Heather is smiling!!

So after a two hour wait sunning ourselves at the top of the water slide, in the distance running down the fell was an army of pink dots – that had to be our lot didn’t it? After what seemed like an eternity they appeared across the field and started running towards us (how they were still on their feet was a mystery to me)

The hills are alive with the sound of music!!!

They certainly put the ‘Muck’ in Badass Mucker!!!

Show us those guns Gemma!

At this point we knew the girls meant business, we cheered them on as they made their way to the water slide…which was the most anticipated obstacle on the course…unfortunately they had run out of water on the second part but that didn’t stop our muckers sliding down!!!

Here we go… weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…………….

The girls were so tired they appeared to be going down/up backwards!

The view from the top – eeeek!

First to volunteer in true gentleman style was Jack, taking it easy on his way down!!

He was followed by the calamity duo Annaka and Gemma who were to busy looking at Janes bum and ended up crashing!!!

It looked so much fun!!!!

Next down was Katie and Heather…again there must have been too much fairy liquid as they ended up crashing as well!

Manii is keeping her distance! The most lady like slider you did ever see!!

Ellie had a run in with the tires….ouch!!

Here comes Lauren…head first!!

Followed by Kirsty…who got battered and bruised on her way down…

The team was there at the bottom to look after Kirsty….and true to Kristy’s form she never quit!

The next obstacle was the hay mountains – luckily nobody ‘bailed out’ as i think they knew the river crossing was next for a much needed cool down.

As a non competitor I was put to shame by how quickly they got to the next obstacle so much so I couldn’t keep up??

Although I did manage to catch the last two in action which led to the most amazing action shot you ever did see (im saving it til last but ssshhhh dont tell heather?)

Next up was the crossing of the River Lune…..aka a chance to cool down and clean off some of that smelly mud.

Just imagine Jaws is behind you girls….what am I on about these guys are Badass Muckers – Jaws Shmaws!!

And on the way back, Annaka looks like she is part of a a trapeze act.

I wish we could all look as cool as Jane after a 10km run!!

Lauren and Sophie even co-ordinated their outfits!! Note Sophie’s arm splint – and you thought i was joking in the intro when i mentioned broken bones!!

Lauren even managed to take time out to see Belle, Gary’s dog and chief supporter, her bark could be heard for miles!!

Smile for the camera!!

Kirsty and Ellie on their final trudge!!

Heather and Manii try to escape!

The team took two minutes out to say hello to the Bay Vets Supporters Club.x

Knees up ladies!!!

And they were off again, this course showed no mercy as the next obstacle was a huge half pipe and cargo net which they had to clamber up and down.

My worst nightmare!!

But they all did it with a little help.

And back down again……phew!!

The final stretch!

So that was it….10km run….28 obstacles defeated and yes we could crown our team ‘The Bay Vets BadAss Muckers’ So proud of this team and cant believe what they achieved…..Same time next year Ladies and Jack??

From the left Annaka Lee, Heather Joyce, Gemma James, Kirsty Thomson, Jane Whiteley, Jack Sykes, Eleanor Skinn, Lauren Williams, Manii Williams, Sophie Lawson, Katie Kyle.

So why did these Veterinary mud machines put the mselves through it i ask?

All the money raised through sponsorship was donated to St Johns Hospice, such an amazing cause. We all have been or know somebody who has been helped by this wonderful Hospice and we are desperate for them to continue with the amazing work they do.

Follow the link to see the fantastic work they do in the community.

https://www.sjhospice.org.uk/