Nancy ‘Noodle’ Pitt completed her mud run on 19th May and had an incredible time, as you will see by the photos. Nancy’s Dad, Darren who supported her around the course, wrote this great blog for us to enjoy together so we can her our support. You can still donate by visiting Nancy’s JustGiving page here.

This charity is close to our hearts as our good friend Mary Stopher is a survivor of kidney cancer. We recognise the amazing work you guys do and Nancy was super excited to be apart of the work that you achieve.

A little blog of her day today ….. she without doubt stole the show with her smile and desire to complete this!

06.15 am: So today’s the day (Sunday) that Nancy enters the big unknown of what is known as a mud run. Nuclear to most adults is an instant turn off with thick, choking, stench smelling mud leading to ditches, into more mud, into drains that lead into ditches, you get my drift. I have spoken to Nancy, having shown her some YouTube clips of events from last year, I am really not confident that she will do this. The first deep bit of water may be a real game changer and turn that smiley face into a ‘get me out of here’ face, only time will tell.

07.45. Breakfast is done and she is raring to go, just a few minutes before we get into the car with Mum and Nanny Sue. Even I’m getting nervous and I’m just the hired help!!!!

08.50. Arrived at the Nuclear races HQ for registration and now things are looking very real. Nancy is now asking a few more questions which defo means she is starting to feel the nerves. She still doesn’t have a concept of what she is about to embark on, but then why would she, she’s just 4.

09.35: We have been called to the starting line up! Nancy has had her photo taken one too many times now so is starting to get edgy. The rookies are in a side pen area sectioned away from the main runners in this particular wave as the music starts and the Compare whips up the audience! They are introducing the kids to the adults, each greeted with huge applause, with the compliment returned by the kids to the adults. The mood is turning the nervous energy into banter between the generations. The music booms louder and group warm ups completed almost trance like by the ‘in house’ personal trainers. Their words and actions commanding the floor from the balcony like rooftop of a shipping container.

The crowd whipped then the siren blares out, echoing around the vast acres of this huge playground. The group of adults charge off into the distance as the energy that was being generated is turned into shouts of noise that can only be understood by native vikings.

Calm enters the air as the Compare calls the children around him and they all drop to a knee ready for the battle plan to be shared in a briefing. Nancy still unphased by this quite incredible adventure she is about to embark on.

The time is now, and when they are to reach the end of the carpet mat, the arena is theirs with a little shriek of excitement we start the journey! We are off into the woods with around 40 other children accompanied by parents, and Nancy is definitely one of the smallest, and without doubt the youngest.

As the mounds started to get bigger and the soil become wetter Nancy definitely started to enjoy what she was seeing and doing… runs around slower kids.

In true Nuclear fashion within two mins of the start we were chest deep in muddy water. This is the shape of what is to come. Will Nancy be happy that she’s not only as wet as a fish but as muddy as a wallowing pig. She loves it,

giggling away holding my hand as we wade through thick, boggy, black mud and on exit it was just as bad, slippery mud taking our balance away like an icy pond.

Obstacle after obstacle she worked out what she needed to do and went for it. A-frames, cargo nets, fences, ditches zip lines, 6 foot wall, tyres along with water slides and balance beams; nothing was too problematic and there was defiantly nothing presented to her that she wasn’t wanting to try.

11.00. We are seeing the end now, just the final few obstacles to complete. A tall ladder frame that leads her to the highest, widest slide she has ever encountered. This one was going to drop her straight into the muddy water at the end. She loved it and in a flash, was climbing out looking for the next great adventure.

A huge beaming smile on Nancy’s face stretched from ear-to-ear when she went over the finish line. Presented with her medal, Nancy just couldn’t have been more pleased as she skipped away desperate for this story not to end. She had exceeded all of my expectations and smashed them out of the stadium.

A very caring confident little girl took on one of her finest challenges and laughed in its face and if there was fear, it was now joy and excitement reliving some of the recent events in the mud. Nancy was now victorious and so wished she could carry on, if only for a few minutes more.

As adults we forget simplicity and see it as a trick. But sometimes, the simple things in life can be the best in the untroubled mind of a four year old; simple is just divine. What else would a little child want more of than mud, water and the ability to play in it and this little girl grabbed her opportunity with both hands and ran with it like the wind.

Here’s to the next adventure.

You can still donate to Nancy’s JustGiving page here