Two best friends from Glossop are feeling a sense of accomplishment again after conquering a Tough Mudder for the second year in a row to raise more vital funds for charity.

Conor Ball and Adam Coomber passed an ultimate test of fitness and stamina with flying colours while having lots of fun, when braving a 15km course consisting of 30 challenging obstacles at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire.

Family and friends of the two 27-year-olds generously supported their GoFundMe page and Macmillan Cancer Support will receive £515 from the pals' brilliant fundraising efforts.

Speaking to the Glossop Chronicle after the aches and pains had eased, Conor told us how they were both pleased with how it went and that last year's experience stood them in good stead.

“It was very similar to last year in terms of obstacles - there were a few new ones put in and a couple we did last year that were taken out,” said Conor, who is a transport co-ordinator at Kingspan and an Under-10s football coach with Glossop North End Community Club.

“Some of the obstacles were in different positions as well which was quite refreshing. Having done it last year, we had a good advantage of knowing roughly what to expect. There were a lot more water obstacles this year which are good fun.

“We both did very well, we did the 15k in four hours which we were very pleased with. It was just really good the whole way round, we hit all 30 obstacles. The good thing is when you get to them you can stop for a minute to get your breath back and you have a lot more energy then to clear the obstacle. It is a mental battle, you just have to keep going and keep focused.”

Conor (left) and Adam didn't get as muddy as last year!  

'When we finished, I wanted to do it again!'

The pair tackled an additional 5km this year, taking the total distance to approximately 9.32 miles, but did it make it any tougher?

“It made it a little harder because it was an extra 5k but we got to some parts where it said to go one way for 10k and another way for 15k so we weren’t really tired as such and it seemed to go very quickly,” Conor explained.

“I personally wouldn’t say it wasn’t a scary thought, we signed up for it and we just got on with it.

“We left the house really early and had a nutritional breakfast of McDonald’s! We did the warm-up and then we were away. It was a good day to do it, the weather was good and there was a nice breeze so we weren’t sweating straight away.

“When we finished, I wanted to get in the queue and do it again! But we were absolutely wiped out for a couple of days afterwards. I still can’t believe it’s been and gone now.”

'I was thinking of Sam virtually every step of the way' 

Last year, Adam - who recently completed a Masters in Human Physiology and Biomedical Science at Manchester Metropolitan University - spearheaded the fundraising for national charity Action Duchenne in memory of his friend Thomas Mickleburgh.

This year, Conor led the campaign in memory of his pal Sam ‘Smog’ Moghadasnia, who died in late 2021 from brain cancer at the age of 26.

It was Sam, who studied on the same history course at Manchester Metropolitan University as Conor, who gave them extra motivation to complete the gruelling course on Saturday 10 September. 

“I kept thinking doing the Tough Mudder was absolutely nothing compared to what Sam must have been going through - you can’t even compare it,” Conor told us.

Conor (front centre) with Sam (front right) and friends back in 2017

“So for us there was no excuse, if he’s going through that we can do this, and that was another driving force. If Sam can battle through cancer and still go out, we can do a 15k Tough Mudder so that was the mindset we had before we started.

“I was thinking of Sam on the day, virtually every single step along the way. I bet he had a right good laugh at us from up there!”

Conor also reserved a special mention for his close pal and sidekick Adam, who have known each other since primary school.

“Adam was absolutely fantastic this year - he went on all of the obstacles, he was running next to me and it was just great having him alongside me again,” Conor said.

“He was absolutely superb all the way through. One of the activities we had to do was a hero carry which was class. I hopped on his back and went halfway and then he hopped on my back but I didn’t realise where the finishing line was! I just kept going with him on my back and kept walking into people.”

Pride and achievement 

The pair had set out to raise £500 for Macmillan, which provides specialist health care, information and financial support to people affected by cancer.

They surpassed that and Conor was keen to thank everyone who helped them achieve the fantastic total.

“We exceeded what we wanted to raise which has made me really proud,” he said. “I’ve spoken to the majority of people individually but I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who donated, it means so much. Every single penny counts for the charity.

“With everything going up in price, people donating £10 can be the same as a couple of meals so people still have the heart to give which is just amazing. We had so many well wishes from people beforehand saying good luck which keep you going.”

They’re still pondering about doing it a third time or taking on another challenge next year, but Conor wouldn’t hesitate in recommending the Tough Mudder to anyone else thinking about it.

“At the moment we don’t have any plans to do it again next year but I love doing it,” he admitted.

“Everyone always says you have to do a marathon at least once in your life and for me it’s you have to do the Tough Mudder at least once.

“It’s so much fun and a lot of it is teamwork which builds up the rapport with other people. It just shows what you can do if you put your mind to it, you can surprise yourself and you get a great sense of achievement at the end.”

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