EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE: Overcoming Obstacles

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — How do you train for a 24-hour straight mud race? If you ask our Extraordinary Person of the Week, Steven Shade, he’ll tell you it takes a support system. His got one heckuva journey to tell and it involves teaching his kids lessons of life while overcoming obstacles.

“It’s the best when you’re finished,” Steven Shade said of his competitions. “The kids run up and want to see the medals and run around with it. My daughter is getting into it.”

Photo: Steven Shade

Steven Shade is a personal trainer in Wilmington. He’s a family man. And he is one determined individual. “I did a lot of long races” he said of preparing for his biggest yet. “A 50 mile race and a 50 k(to name a few)”

But they are nothing like what’s waiting in Las Vegas. “It’s a 24 hour race and 5 mile loop,” Shade said of the World’s Toughest Mudder race being held November 14 and 15th. “You do as many loops as you can, during the 5 miles there are between 25-30 obsticles.”

24 hours straight with obstacles galore. Now his biggest test yet is the World’s Toughest Mudder. But Shade hasn’t been alone on this journey to be the toughest on the planet. Family has been by his side. “It’s been difficult for him,” his wife Amina said. “So to see him go through that and be elated when he’s done with the race has been really inspiring and a lot of fun to watch.”

Watching very closely is his daughter Mia. “I like to watch daddy race because he likes to smile at me and wave sometimes when he’s running,” Mia said.

Photo: Steven Shade

And while he’s in the trenches of competion his children are learning lessons. “What he’s taught her(Mia) about competition and how to have fun while competing and helping others on the course has been exciting,” Amina said.

Truth be told, Steven Shade isn’t expecting to come in first, but that was never the primary goal of running an obstacle course for 24 hours straight.
“To me,” Shade said, it’s just to prove how far I can push myself. That’s why I signed up. I wanted to see where I could go.”

And we go back to where we started…this finish line from a recent race.

Photo: Steven Shade

Where the inspiration for all ages comes to an extraordinary finish.

Joining Steven in Las Vegas and competing as well are his friends Mike Thompson and Aimee Flint.

To follow Steven Shade’s journey, check out his blog here. It’s really good stuff, y’all!
Want to know more about that 24 hour race? Click here.

Good luck Steven!
-Daniel