Renee Muhina, the 3rd ever female to run 50 Tough Mudders and a key member of Team KitBrix. Renee has been with the team since the beginning and has been an inspiration to the team and many Tough Mudder athletes. Getting to 50 completed events, including the World's Toughest Mudder, Renee continues to lead from the front with her own style, in her own way.

"I still cannot believe that I get called an athlete. At most, I call myself a fun runner. Rewind 5 years, I was a gaming addict who would be on the computer 24/7. I would even take days off from work as part of my holiday to try out new games. I seriously thought I was going to become a 'crazy gamer lady'. That was until my friend showed me a promo video for Tough Mudder - and I said... 'Why the hell not?'

In an age where young women are being broadcast across social media portraying perhaps a less than honest lifestyle, Renee truly lives her life as it is shown. Whether in the gym, throwing daggers at hay bales or running in the mud, Renee's social account gives a very real lens into her life, revealing her to be a very warm, unique and loveable character (despite the axe-throwing!) With a multitude of skills and perhaps a level of self-confidence she doesn't really know she has, Renee has made a transition from gamer to mud runner with hard work, grit and determination while having fun along the way.

Although she still loves to play the odd game, her heart is very much into fitness and the outdoors. We got the chance to catch up with her recently as she returned from the Special Forces Experience in Wales.

"After a 9-hour drive, I rocked up at Scotland's Tough Mudder 2014, on my own, unsure what to expect, but I did it. I fell in love...."

Tough Mudder

The Tough Mudder event was created as an endurance event designed to test the psychological and physical strength of its contestants with a focus on teamwork. Tough Mudder is not a race, it is a challenge. What Renee and many others have found is a sense of belonging and camaraderie in this event which appeals to any level of fitness. While some sports pretend to be for 'off the sofa' participants, mud runs and obstacle races are true to this statement.

With its huge popularity in recent years, many companies have started to see the pros of being involved. From work-wear brands to lifestyle clothing companies, there are many jumping on the bandwagon and the future looks bright (orange?) if the events manage to carry their original message of 'All for one and one for all'.

In the eight years since Tough Mudder events began springing up around the world, more than a million people have taken part. The drive to get away from the office at weekends and get outside in the mud is attractive on many levels. The real world is isolated, predictable and annoyingly safe. Tough Mudder is about adventure, teamwork, and overcoming all fear.