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Meet Pam McFarland

An Obstacle Course Race was the last thing that Pam McFarland, 27, of East Greenwich ever thought she could handle, but after completing The BoldrDash Race, her life and health has improved for the better.

At the young age of 6, Pam was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in both of her knees. Osteoarthritis is the most common arthritis and it occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones wears down over time.  Wearing her BoldrDash shirt proudly, Pam acknowledged that BoldrDash was no easy task for her.  “I am always working with my physical therapist to become stronger.  An event like BoldrDash has always been something on my bucket list,” so when Pam’s Nutrition Coach told her about the mud race at Yawgoo Valley in September of 2014 she was ready for the challenge.  She started training right away by adding a lot more cardio and strength training to her workouts. “I felt more inspired to train because the slogan of my gym is, ‘What are you Training for?’ and I finally had a purpose to workout harder,” she said.

When event day finally came, Pam was prepared to Boldly Overcome her Limitations with Determination.  “There were so many obstacles I didn’t think I could do because I didn’t want to hurt my knees,” said Pam, however one by one she overcame her limitations and fears. “The 6-foot-wall was my favorite obstacle even though I struggled to get over it.” In true BoldrDash form, another participant approached Pam at the wall and gave her the encouragement she was looking for. “Having someone you don’t even know say ‘let’s do this together’ really helped me,” she expressed.

When the end of the race neared, emotion took over. Pam began to reflect on all that she has been through to get to this point.  Not only did the BoldrDash event help her gain confidence in herself and her abilities, the training that lead up to event day helped her loose weight, improved her osteoarthritis, and motivated her to stay strong through all aspects of life. “When I crossed the finish line I cried because I couldn’t believe I did this, said Pam, “even though I finished dead last,” she giggled.

So what is BoldrDash to Pam? “Something that pushes you past your boundaries while getting support from other people.” This October, we look forward to supporting Pam in her goal to beat her time at the BoldrDash in the Mud Event.

Pam’s fitness journey has just begun, next year she aspires to do the Beach event and is excited to see what else she can accomplish.  She has no plans to allow Osteoarthritis or anything else interfere with her goals.