Zulu Challenge began in Grand Prairie, Alta., as a way to have children overcome adversity through a demanding obstacle course.
Humans and canines alike tested their physical limits with a gruelling obstacle course at Malden Park on Saturday.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Around 120 children and adults took part in the first-ever Windsor edition of the Zulu Challenge, flipping tractor tires, climbing monkey walls and traversing balance beams and spider walks.
Some participants undertook the course with their dog in a canine obstacle event unique for its kind in Canada.
For Zulu Challenge founder Tosh Mugambi, the course is all about “family-bonding.”
“It’s a family challenge,” Mugambi said. “Sure, it’s hard to do, but you’re always going to remember who you did it with.”
Mugambi started the Zulu Challenge in Grand Prairie, Alta., 13 years ago with the goal of having children overcome adversity through a physically demanding obstacle course. The Zulu Challenge is making its way in cities around Ontario for the first time this summer, Mugambi said.
The course consisted of 1 km, 2 km or 3 km circuits for children or a 5 km course for adults, with between 18 and 30 obstacles. Children as young as three years old participated in the challenge.
Participants are tethered to each other in pairs, or with their dogs during the challenge. This forces racers to “hold each other accountable, to be present with each other,” Mugambi said.
Some obstacles are designed to be “almost impossible” to finish by someone on their own, said Robert Qian, race director of the Zulu Challenge and DS Jungle Race.
“The message (is), you’re only as fast as the slowest one in your group,” Qian said. “That’s very important for kids and for adults as well. You have to always remember: we work as a team.”
Odin Derbowka, 11, alongside with his 2-year-old yellow Labrador Falco, nabbed the second place in the canine challenge. He said it “felt good” to complete the course so quickly.
“The obstacle courses were fun but challenging,” Derbowka said. “It was hard, but me and Falco pushed through it. We did good.”
