A fit, young Australian is taking on the American fitness giant behind Tough Mudder after he sustained horrific injuries on one of its obstacles.
Energy consultant Andrew Dawkins, 37, claims he was nearly killed when he took on the notorious obstacle challenge at St Anne’s Winery in Myrniong, west of Melbourne, in October 2018.
His life drastically changed after he suffered an electric shock when he ran through what is described as the course’s ‘electroshock therapy’ obstacle.
Described on Tough Mudder’s website as ‘perhaps its most controversial obstacle’, it sees participants navigating a field of live wires dangling from a rectangular frame.
Organisers boast the wires sizzle as ‘10,000 volts crackle through them’.
‘A rite of passage for most participants and favourite amongst spectators who enjoy watching the carnage,’ the International Management Group-owned event boasts.
But the impact of the electric shock literally stopped Mr Dawkins in his tracks – and sent him crashing into the ground, he claims.
‘I was surprised at how violent the effect was,’ he told the Daily Mail.
Andrew Dawkins (right) at the fateful event that changed his life
Andrew Dawkins was injured doing the 2018 Tough Mudder in Victoria
‘The main shock hit me a few metres into the obstacle, in the centre of my back.
‘My limbs all contracted and – because I was running as fast as I could – as instructed, I hit the ground hard and skidded on my side, tearing up my shirt.
‘I rolled out the back of the obstacle to get clear of the wires and tried to stand up, but my legs wouldn’t cooperate.’
Lawyers for Mr Dawkins claim the shock of the electrical currents caused their client life-changing injuries, including central cord syndrome in his neck and back.
Mr Dawkins said his friend helped him to his feet, but knew he was in trouble.
‘My mate caught up to me and asked if I was okay. I told him I’d be alright but I needed a hand getting up,’ he said.
‘It was like my legs weren’t properly connected anymore, the signals weren’t getting through. I’d try to move a leg and after a delay it would move, but how I intended.
‘I kept trying though and with some help managed to keep moving, although slower than before, and eventually got through the rest of the course and went home.’
Participants are required to make their way through live wires while soaked in water. Mr Dawkins was left in hospital after he was shocked while wet
Tough Mudder is known more for its camaraderie and ‘experiential vibe’, but it left Mr Dawkins in a wheelchair
Mr Dawkins said it became harder and harder to walk or even sit up over the next few days.
‘I ended up in hospital, having a range of tests and scans run on me. By that stage, I could only take a few slow steps from the bed and needed a wheelchair to get anywhere else.’
He now suffers nerve pain from his lower back through his thighs and legs to his feet, bilateral ulnar neuritis – affecting his fingers and arms – and psychological injury.
The injury forced Mr Dawkins off work until mid-2019 when he slowly began a year-long return to a full-time role midway through 2020.
Mr Dawkins said he had felt good going into the dreaded obstacle.
‘It was certainly muddy. The previous obstacle required you to wade through water so we were definitely wet,’ he said.
‘The course had been going really well prior to this obstacle – about 2/3 of the way through – so I was feeling pretty confident.
‘I’d managed to complete all the physical challenges of all the previous obstacles without issue such as climbing, monkey bars, jumping, balancing, helping lift people over barriers, etc.’
Participants are encouraged to help others get through the course (stock image)
Mr Dawkins said the obstacle itself didn’t look dangerous or difficult as he approached it.
‘It was just a series of wooden frames with string-like things dangling down near to the track,’ he said.
‘For the previous obstacles you could figure out a way to successfully get through it – a method – but for this one there was no clear strategy so I stopped and asked the attendant who advised that I ‘just take a run up, go as fast as you can and you’ll be fine’.
Mr Dawkins has now launched civil proceedings in the County Court of Victoria alleging IMG owed him a duty of care to ensure he would not be injured while participating.
In a statement of claim lodged by Mr Dawkins’ lawyers Arnold Thomas & Becker, it is alleged the company should have known there was a risk that participants would be wet, immersed in or in contact with water when they entered the offending obstacle.
‘Prior to the commencement of the event, IMG knew, or ought to have known … participants may suffer an adverse reaction to an electric shock in such circumstances,’ it stated.
Two other companies involved in the event have also been included in the civil action.
In his claim, Mr Dawkins has accused the company of failing to undertake adequate testing of the electroshock therapy obstacle to assess its potential to cause injury.
Mr Dawkins had been into rock climbing before his accident. He is pictured with his wife Sarah
Lawyers further claimed IMG invited their client to the event when it knew or ought to reasonably have known of the risk of injury to him.
Court documents allege the obstacle failed to comply with the Electrical Safety Act 1988.
Mr Dawkins is claiming damages for loss of income and medical expenses, which could total hundreds of thousands of dollars once legal fees are taken into account.
Arnold Thomas & Becker lawyer Taylah McWilliams told Daily Mail it should have been common sense that participants could suffer an adverse reaction to an electric shock in circumstances where they have just been immersed in water.
‘Tough Mudder was directed to remove the obstacle from the course after the incident, but we understand it may since be back in use,’ she said.
‘Events like Tough Mudder are marketed and promoted as fitness and fun challenges – they should be designed and operated in a way that is safe for all participants.
‘Our client continues to suffer from regular and ongoing pain as a result of what happened to him that day.
‘While no amount of compensation can undo that harm, we hope to achieve an outcome that helps him move forward in his recovery and raises awareness of the importance of participant safety in all recreational and endurance events.’
Andrew Dawkins had been fit and healthy before he participated in the Tough Mudder event
It was not the first time Mr Dawkins had participated in the event, having completed the ‘Half’ challenge the previous year.
‘I found it relatively easy. The ‘Half’ didn’t include the electroshock obstacle though,’ Mr Dawkins said.
‘I’d also previously completed similar ‘fun’ run/obstacle courses like this, including a water-based one with inflatable obstacles – and no electricity.’
Mr Dawkins had been a regular runner for many years and at the time was slowly increasing his running distances in the hope of running a marathon the following year.
‘I was regularly running 15km on weekends and 5-10km runs during the week. The course was just over 15km, about 17km in total, with lots of breaks at the obstacles, so it was very achievable,’ he said.
‘I had also rock climbed and bouldered semi-regularly for years, so climbing over obstacles was easy enough.
‘General fitness-wise, I ran a street roller hockey league at the time, was also captaining a team and skating/playing hockey about 2-3 hours a week. I would also regularly cycle to and from work and lift weights at home.’
Tough Mudder was co-founded in 2009 by Will Dean and Guy Livingstone, two British graduates of Harvard Business School who had known each other since boarding school in England.
Mr Dawkins in happier times before he was injured at Tough Mudder
Frustrated with the monotony of traditional marathons, they envisioned an endurance challenge that emphasised teamwork, mental grit, and overcoming fears through military-style obstacles like fire, water, electricity, and heights.
The inaugural Tough Mudder event launched in 2010 at a ski resort in the United States, promoted almost entirely via Facebook on a shoestring budget.
It sold out in just 35 days, attracting nearly 5000 participants for a 10- to 12-mile course with 20-plus obstacles.
By the end of 2010, the event had expanded to multiple US locations and in 2011, it went international.
The event has suffered from various controversies over the years, including multiple on-course deaths.
Avishek Sengupta drowned in the ‘Walk the Plank’ water jump in the US in 2013 while another man suffered a heart attack a year earlier.
In 2023, California health officials issued an advisory after more than 100 participants fell ill with rashes, fever, muscle pain, nausea and vomiting.
Daily Mail has contacted IMG for comment.
