By Casey Neill
Dad and daughter are ready to overcome any obstacle…
A Hallam father and daughter duo are tackling Tough Mudder side-by-side.
Joel and Haley Philips signed up to the obstacle course challenge after taking on the Eureka Tower climb over the past two years.
They both said the mud and structure-littered path in Myrniong will be something completely different.
“We didn’t want to watch too many videos because we didn’t want to scare ourselves,” Haley said.
“I did a small course they had in Mooroolbark and it was sort of the same thing except it was more obstacle-based.”
That was Muddy Hell and Haley competed in six-degree weather.
“It made me realise I needed to up my training level about 10-fold,” she said.
She and Joel have been training together on Mondays and every second Saturday in the lead-up to the Saturday 28 October event.
Haley goes to the gym twice a week and they both take part in Casey Fit Club at Fleetwood Primary School on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Tuesday is basically cardio, Haley said, and Thursday is a boxing class.
“I enjoy all the physical exercise, mainly running, just to get fit and healthy,” Joel said.
Haley said: “He’s the crazy man who goes running 10 kilometres after a full day at work.”
Joel, 50, laughed and agreed.
“I just find it very relaxing, as silly as it sounds,” he said.
Haley, 23, said: “I’m more of the person who doesn’t want to get out there but afterwards you go ‘I’m so glad I’ve done that’.
“We train as a group on Tuesday and Thursday and dad’s the one everybody goes to for motivation.
“We’re tackling it together but we’re also bringing along a few other people as well.
“We’ve got the benefit of the support of each other in the family sense and the support of friends.
“Dad and I are a wicked combination and adding the friends on top of it make it a more fun experience.”
