“I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.” – Vince Lombardi
Obstacle courses were first recognized as exercises for American military personnel. Designed to test endurance and simulate difficult terrain, they forced participants to measure their physical limits in a variety of manmade challenges that strained the main muscle groups and cardiovascular capabilities. Obstacle sports generally can include any combination of running, climbing, jumping, crawling, balancing and swimming elements.
Lt. Col. William Hoge of the US Army is often credited with having created the first obstacle course for World War II. But the US Armed Forces had already experienced these crash courses in the Civil War and World War I. In 1986, the UK introduced its Tough Guy obstacle course races, converting the exercise into a competitive sport. Eventually, the races got tougher and more diverse, like the five-mile World’s Toughest Mudder. The races peaked with the 50-mile (80-kilometer) 40-hour Spartan Death Race, a grueling outdoor challenge that pushed the limits of human endurance.
Obstacle sports in the Philippines is in a great place. The Pilipinas Obstacle Sports Federation (POSF) has broken so much new ground and led the world in pioneering new trends and records in the sport while still in its infancy.
“After 42 firsts in the five years since the national sports association on obstacle sports was established in January of 2017, Pilipinas Obstacle Sports Federation (POSF) is setting its sights for more firsts in the next five months and the next five years,” says POSF president Atty. Alberto Agra. “We will continue to build better humans and cater to the able-bodied, Para-athletes, youth and kids, seniors and masters and the LGBTQIA+ communities. We have introduced the sport as part of the quality physical education programs of 15 schools and universities. We now have 20 obstacle facilities nationwide and will soon have four more Obstacles-in-a-Box as part of our partnership with the PLDT-Smart Foundation.”
Obstacle sports are among the most versatile, imaginative and challenging sports, attracting wider ranges of participants and backers. Despite the pandemic, it has grown increasingly fast around the world. And the POSF promises to relentlessly pursue excellence and inclusiveness as it breaks new ground in a sport without limits.