Ben Wood: Born Survivor Review

With nearly a month since Born Survivor, we thought it would be good to reflect on our journey so far and let you all know the struggles we faced throughout the challenge. Enjoy!

Throughout the course of the year, Click Dealer will be embarking on a number of different events in aid of Leighton Hospital’s Ward 17.

The first challenge being the daunting Born Survivor obstacle course at Capesthorpe Hall, Manchester. 30+ physically demanding, energy sapping obstacles over the course of a gruelling 10k run.

So, how did the Clickers get on I hear you ask. Only one way to find out…

8:00am – Fully rested, showered, belly full of porridge, the team is ready and waiting!

9:00am – Our journey to Born Survivor started. R-Kelly ‘The World’s Greatest’ was pumping through the car stereo and we all couldn’t wait to start the race!

10:00am – The team arrived at Capesthorne Hall. We all registered at the check in point and then stood with anticipation until our wave started at 11:00am.

10:30am – We all went to watch other participants take on the dreaded last obstacle which was called ‘The Blitz’! This was the big one – the money shot. A 16ft high and 40ft wide wall, this was going to be the mother of obstacles we faced today!

10:45am – Nerves/Excitement are all kicking in now whilst we wait to be summoned to the Start Cage!

11:00am – And we’re off! All 16 clickers burst through the start cage determined to concur all 30 obstacles.

11:20am – Team Click were motoring through the obstacles we faced. It was all pretty routine and were starting to gain more confidence, this was until however we encountered the ‘Submariners Struggle’, this definitely was a struggle! 1 ice cold river we needed to pass, 4 wooden bars in the way which meant full submersion was needed to complete the obstacle.

11:40am – All I can say is MUD, MUD & MORE MUD! We powered through the thick mud pools and were then faced with two huge plunges into deep, murky water. With the first of these plunges, named ‘para plunge’ you had to manoeuvre your way up 4 log steps and then jump into the water. The second, given an even more appealing name, ‘Drop Zone Alpha’ involved a climb up 3 huge steps with a slide which cut short halfway down to send you flying into the water below.

12:20pm – Up to this point we had conquered walls, crawls, lifts and so much more. The Born Survivor course was however, beginning to take its toll on our bodies. This was not helped with the infamous ‘Killa Bars’ standing in our way.

12:30pm – One by one, the team attempted to conquer the suitably named ‘Killa Bars’ and surely enough they claimed victim, after victim, after victim. It looked for certain that this would be the first obstacle that was just too much for our resilient group but when all hope seemed lost, up stepped the final representative of the Click Club. Ring by ring, we watched on with bated breath as our Social Media and Admin Manager, Joe, conquered the barbaric obstacle.

1:00pm – Battered, bruised but ever-boisterous. The will and determination of the team was questioned time and time again but it was never in any doubt. Constantly pushing each other on with around a quarter of the course yet to be defeated, knowing that there were still a lot more mental and physical obstacles standing between us and the finish.

1:30pm – Limbs were getting stiff and muscles were getting tight, the last thing that we needed was to be greeted by the endless sight of our next obstacle, ‘The 39 Steps’. 39 excruciating hurdles on an incline that needed to be overcome in order to make a massive stride towards the finish. Hurdle after hurdle, step after step, when would they end?

2:10pm – ‘The 39 Steps’ had clearly taken their toll on the team but it soon came to realisation that there were just 3 obstacles standing between us and the finishing line. With second wind well and truly in gear and with the sheer willingness to succeed, the Clickers quickly regrouped to absolutely storm through the next two obstacles but we were quickly stopped in our tracks by the site of the monstrosity that awaited us, the beast known as ‘The Blitz’.

2:20pm – This was it, the final step. 30+ obstacles defeated and just one more stood in our way. But this wasn’t any ordinary obstacle, this was a slippery, steep and all-round behemoth of an obstacle. We watched others try and fail to overcome it but as a team, we were going to do this one way or another. Clicker after Clicker climbed and conquered the wall with the help of the team and surely enough, Team Click had overthrown ‘The Blitz’.

2:40pm – The feeling amongst us was one of immense pride. From walls, submerges, crawls and lifts, this was a test of physical endurance, mental toughness and an overall test of immense character and the team had passed with flying colours. The Clickers had done it.

Born muddy. Born Clickers. Born survivors!

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO DONATE!

In March 2017, Click Dealer Director Pippa Rawlinson and Head of Sales Lee Rawlinson’s young son, Jude, was treated on Leighton Hospital’s Ward 17 for Meningitis and thanks to his tremendous fighting spirit and the work of the dedicated medical professionals, he is now back home and on the road to recovery.

In order to thank the hospital and to ensure that care can continue to be given to any children unfortunate enough to contract the Meningitis virus in the future, Lee, Pippa and the whole of Click Dealer would like to give something back to the ward to ensure that their good work continues.

Born Survivor was just the first of many events that the Clickers will be partaking in, to raise as much as we possibly can for this fantastic cause.

If you too would like to donate, you can do so by visiting the link below. Every penny counts and will be appreciated just as much as the last:

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/clickdealer

A massive thank you to everybody who has already donated and a reminder to keep an eye out for more events in the near future!

The Clickers. X