Sandy Springs resident Debra Tenenbaum takes a breath after some cardio warm-up drills at Muddervation boot camp
The Sandy Springs resident, who is a mother, wife and teacher, is also a Tough Mudder.
“I want to show that just because you’re 60, life is not coming to an end. It’s just starting,” Tenenbaum said.
She, along with 17 others, are participating in the Tough Mudder 12-mile obstacle course this Saturday, and have been preparing since mid-May with a series of weekly boot camps called Muddervation at YourDay gym on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.
Tenenbaum said her husband, Fred Spring, completed a Tough Mudder and was part of her inspiration.
“I was like, ‘What in the world are you doing this for?’” she said. “I was just really impressed and amazed that he would take that on.”
Tenenbaum works out with YourDay’s owner, Day Adeogba, of Brookhaven, regularly.
And Doug Grady, a Buckhead resident and friend of Tenenbaum’s, wanted to inspire others to train for and complete a Tough Mudder.
“Doug’s Muddervation group joined our regular evening workout,” she said. “Nobody was forcing us to do it. We just overlapped times.”
Tenenbaum said the longer she was around the group, the energy was more “infectious.”
“I started thinking, ‘I’m turning 60,’” she said. “I wanted to do something significant to just sort of remind myself that there’s no limit.”
Now, Tenenbaum’s two daughters, 24 and 26, and son, 16, are taking on the Tough Mudder, too.
“They have stepped up and I’m just amazed and so proud, and so grateful that this is going to be a family trip,” she said.
And Nancy Jamison, of west Buckhead, said her sons Lucas, 5, and Rex, 6, have benefited by watching she and her husband Bill take care of their health and be a part of Muddervation.
“They caught on. They got the fever,” said Jamison, who will partake in a Tough Mudder in April. “That habit of taking care of yourself and respecting your body. … It’s about that.”
She said it also helped their real estate business, Jamison Home Zone, improve significantly.
“It’s the confidence and belief in myself that I know I can do it,” she said. “That has absolutely translated. It is almost directly proportional to the workout. It was a gift for Doug to share his relationship with Day, and for Day to open his gym to so many people. They didn’t have to do that. They’re doing it to help people. They both have a servant’s heart.”
Although Tenenbaum said Muddervation pushed her beyond all physical boundaries she believed to exist, it also made her less afraid of facing anything.
“It’s just like any obstacles in life. You just have to put one foot in front of the other and just do it,” she said. “You let go of the fear. It just starts melting away. … I just feel fearless.”
I know that Debra changed my life one afternoon when she said "How about joining me for a mile run? Anyone can run ONE Mile."
She was right. One mile lead to two, then three, then I ran the Tough Mudder with Fred in Feb.
I am so impressed with the clarity, commitment and camaraderie of all the folks at Your Day Fitness and especially for Doug Grady who has been an inspiration to me.
Keep up the good work!
You are a real life hero(ine). This is yet another instance of your inspiring leadership.