Does competing in events such as the “Electroshock Therapy” or “Arctic Enema” sound like fun to you? If so, you might be interested in joining Bill Livingston and Michael Wallace at the Tough Mudder competition, taking place this August in Westbrook.

Tough Mudder is course between 10 and 14 miles, riddled with obstacles, such as crawling under barbed wire, through mud, scaling 10-foot and higher walls, and crawling underground in the dark in water-filled tunnels, just to name a few.

The Electroshock Therapy obstacle is where participants run through a field of live wires, with hay bales and sinkholes to trip them up. Arctic Enema is where you jump into a tank filled with water and ice, and swim underneath a barrier. There are numerous others, all designed to test participants in both physical and mental ways.

Livingston, who is 25 and lives in Boothbay, and Wallace, who is 33, and also from Boothbay, are currently training for the event.

“My friend told me about it two years ago,” Wallace said. “It was in Vermont, but I wasn't up for it at the time. Three months ago I bumped into a buddy at the Y who told me there was a Tough Mudder taking place in Maine this year, and I thought it was a great excuse to get in shape.”

For the last eight years, Wallace has worked out at the Y six days every week. Despite this, he still feels he can do better. He is especially interested in increasing his running ability.

"I'm not a runner," Wallace said. "I've signed up for three 5k's this summer to keep myself tuned up; it's a great motivator."

Livingston, who shares a locker with Wallace at the Y, is also interested in increasing his running ability.

"The course is between 10 and 14 miles," Livingston said. "The farthest I've run is nine. So if it's a 14-mile course, I'll have problems. I plan to run outside a lot when the weather gets warmer."

One of the main reasons Livingston and Wallace are interested in Tough Mudder is because the organization supports the Wounded Warrior Project.

WWP is an organization that helps veterans and service members who have sustained injuries related to their service after September 11, 2001. These include physical or mental injury, illness, or wounds. So far Tough Mudder has raised over $6,000,000 for WWP.

"There are a lot of local people with kids in the military," Wallace said. "My grandfather, Stanley Thompson, served in World War II and earned a Purple Heart, and I spent almost my entire childhood with him. I'm living my dream of owning my own business because he and all our service members make sacrifices every day.”

"My father served 20 years in the Coast Guard," Livingston said. "My grandfathers are veterans of Vietnam and Korea. My cousin fought in Desert Storm. The military is a big part of my family, and the Wounded Warrior Project is a really good foundation that helps veterans in need.”

To help, Livingston has set up donation cans around town for Wounded Warrior Project. Currently there is a can at Freedom Auto Care, and he will have one at Dockside Grill and Herringbone's early in May. He is looking for other locations willing to have a can.

"All the money raised for WWP goes directly to the group," Wallace said. "It helps offset medical and rehab costs, and raises awareness."

Tough Mudder takes place more than 50 times a year worldwide. Between 15,000 and 20,000 people are at each event, and around 30 percent of people who attempt the course do not finish. One very important thing in Tough Mudder is that it is not a race; it's a personal challenge, and if you can't face an obstacle for some reason, it's OK to go around.

"These aren’t just super-fit Abercrombie models participating," Wallace said. "Girls and guys both, there was a guy in the military who only had one leg, and a guy in a wheelchair. Everyone helps each other; there is so much support."

At the finish line, those who complete the course get a T-shirt, a headband and a well-earned beer. Also at the finish line is a massive pile of mud-caked shoes.

"People destroy their shoes on this course, they are covered in mud and soaked through," Livingston said. "Tough Mudder takes all the shoes and cleans them up and donates them; they don't just get thrown away."

"I'm doing this mostly for my daughter," Wallace said. "Her name is Aurora; my wife Rachel and I named her after the Disney princess Sleeping Beauty. I want to be the kind of dad who is in shape and can play with her and be there."

The closer the event gets, the more expensive it is to sign up. Anyone interested in joining Livingston and Wallace can call 207-380-6968 to talk with Wallace. The website to sign up and/or learn more is www.toughmudder.com. To learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.