82-year-old woman competes in Tough Mudder event to honor late husband

Nothing is going to stop Mildred Wilson, not even a muddy obstacle course.

Wilson, 82, recently competed in a Missouri Tough Mudder event, all in memory of her late husband Farrell Wilson, CBS News reported.

Farrell Wilson died last year after getting COVID-19 and then having a heart attack while being treated for the coronavirus.

Mildred Wilson isn’t a stranger to the tough competition. She had taken part in 2019, but this year was different. She had her husband as her motivation to finish the course.

She decided that she wouldn’t sit at home to mourn her loss, but instead be active and work through her sorrow.

First, she got a doctor’s OK to train, then she built her strength at her local YMCA.

In September, she competed in a Conquer the Gauntlet obstacle course, which is similar to the Tough Mudder event, the Standard-Democrat reported.

They also had a bit of help in the actual Tough Mudder event. Her son Danny Wilson joined her on the course, as did some friends, CBS News reported.

They ran together on Mother’s Day, each wearing a tag on their show that read “I run for Farrell Wilson. He walked by faith.”

After between two and three hours, Mildred Wilson finished the 5k Tough Mudder with Danny Wilson at her side. Normally it takes a competitor about one to one and a half hours to conquer obstacles like crawling under barbed wire and a vertical wall, the latter of which intimidated Mildred Wilson.

“I wanted to do it and with help, I got over that wall. It wasn’t easy, but it took a whole village to get over that wall,” Mildred Wilson told CBS News.