Midvale resident gets down and dirty in the mud for a good cause

Midvale resident Leslie Anderson has fun playing in the mud, especially when it goes to benefit people with multiple sclerosis, something she works with on a daily basis. Anderson and her coworkers Laura Seawright and Maria Dohnal, along with their husbands Brady Anderson and Taylor Dohnal made up the team “All Our Heroes are Muddy” and raised money for MS research during the first ever Mud Run MS Utah, Aug. 13.

More than 350 people participated in the inaugural 10K muddy boot camp style obstacle course. Runners from all over the state gathered in Tooele to participate in the run, which raised more than $50,000 for multiple sclerosis research.

“Mud Run MS Utah brought the community together for an amazingly exciting event while also educating a new audience of participants about multiple sclerosis,” said Annette Royle-Mitchell, National MS Society Utah-Southern Idaho Chapter President. “Today we saw people voluntarily tackle muddy challenges and conquer them just as we will one day overcome this disease for a world free of MS.”

Anderson works in a neurology office and MS clinic. She said she decided to participate in the run with her coworkers because she sees on a daily basis the effect MS has on people’s lives. Although next year’s event is a ways off, Anderson said more people have shown interest in next year’s team already.

This race had its challenges, especially for Anderson who is 16 weeks pregnant. The heat was especially hard, but thanks to the muddy puddles and water stations, Anderson said she was able to finish the race with her team.

“We decided to support the people we help every day and try to raise money to help them,” she said. “It was fun to get muddy and push yourself to do something you’d never done before.”

The race was divided into two divisions, one for competitive teams and one for teams just there to have a little fun. Anderson’s team fell into the second category.

Designed by former Marines, Mud Run MS Utah is a 10K (6.2 miles), “boot camp” style obstacle course. The event had more than 20 obstacles that included swinging across mud pits, crawling on elbows through wet dirt, gliding down a 30 foot tall slip and slide splashing into the mud, among other fun challenges. The adventure finished with the Tooele Fire Department hosing participants off.

Anderson said the team worked together to get through the race, helping each other along the way. Running through the mud was difficult but the hardest for her to overcome was one of the obstacles. The team had to jump from a platform five feet above the ground into muddy water. Anderson was able to overcome her fear of heights with her team’s help.

MS is a disease that affects the central nervous system, interrupting the flow of information within the brain and between the body and the brain. Utah has one of the highest rates of MS, which can make getting around difficult. Anderson said she was surprised to see how many people with MS participated in the race.

“The racers with MS didn’t let their disease stand in the way of life. They got out there and participated,” she said. “It was very inspiring.”