Belly crawling through knee-deep mud followed by hill-running, rope climbing, electric shocks and fire. Sound like a fun day? For most people the answer would be a resounding “no,” but this is just what MDF board member, Ona McConnell and her Yale field hockey teammates, Maddy Sharp and Jessie Accurso, are looking forward to when they participate in the Tough Mudder Challenge on Sunday, May 13. The women are undertaking what is billed as “the toughest event on the planet” with the goal of raising $5000 for MDF.

The Mudder is not your typical extreme race. The goal is not to win--or even finish if you’re unable-- but to draw on your mental and physical stamina and the camaraderie of your teammates to overcome obstacles and raise funds for a worthy cause. This is not the first time that Ona, who was diagnosed with DM1 in 2010, has leveraged her athletic passion and the resources of her fellow field hockey members to support MDF; Ona and her Yale field hockey teammates have raised tens of thousands of dollars for MDF through the Yale Get-A-Grip campaign. For the May event, Ona, Maddy and Jessie have put out the call to their hockey team, friends and families and the Yale community to donate toward their goal.

To get ready for the grueling day, the three friends have upped their weight lifting program and added a weekend session with their sports trainer. Although she knows that the weakness and cramping she experiences with DM present an extra physical challenge her, Ona likes to say, “I would have done this if I were fully healthy, so I’m going to try to do it even if I’m not. I’m definitely going to be out there and try my very hardest to do what everyone else does.”
Donate to the Tough Mudder Challenge to support Ona and MDF. To learn more about the Tough Mudder: http://toughmudder.com/