TV IN HIGH HEELS: TOUGH MUDDER THE CHALLENGE WITHIN
The CW Network and Tough Mudder Inc., the leading active lifestyle brand, will debut a new multi-platform six-part series, TOUGH MUDDER: THE CHALLENGE WITHIN, Thursday, February 2 on CW Seed, The CW’s digital network. The finale will premiere as a one-hour broadcast special event on The CW, Tuesday, February 14 (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT).
The first two episodes of TOUGH MUDDER: THE CHALLENGE WITHIN will stream on CW Seed beginning Feb 2, with the subsequent three digital episodes to debut Feb. 6, Feb. 9, and Feb. 13. The episodes will focus on “everyday heroes” – the Granito brothers, Denise Florio, and Mirna Valerio – who must overcome their daily struggles and hardships to accomplish something they never thought possible: completing the 10-12 mile Tough Mudder obstacle course.
The one-hour broadcast finale of TOUGH MUDDER: THE CHALLENGE WITHIN on The CW Network will chronicle the group’s journey as they come together to accomplish completing a Tough Mudder. Deemed as “probably the toughest event on the planet,” Tough Mudder tests teamwork skills and pushes one’s physical abilities and mental grit.
Shot in a documentary style, the show will feature the rawness of real human experience and the high-stakes, unscripted drama of each team members’ own personal stories as they face different obstacles and fears not only on the course, but also in life.
“Each year we hear hundreds of thousands of participants who describe how the challenges of running a Tough Mudder inspire and help them overcome personal obstacles,” said Will Dean, CEO & Co-founder, Tough Mudder, Inc. “Tough Mudder is thrilled to partner with The CW Network to highlight inspirational stories and further expand our video content distribution bringing Tough Mudder to millions of people.”
Featured Participants on TOUGH MUDDER: THE CHALLENGE WITHIN:
MIRNA VALERIO – is a Spanish teacher, choral director, diversity practitioner and cross-country running coach in Rabun Gap, Ga., who also writes her own blog, “Fat Girl Running.” After a heart attack scare eight years ago, Mirna went on a quest to improve her cardiovascular health.
THE GRANITO BROTHERS – Bobby, Jim and their stepbrother, Brandt, are part of a tight-knit Italian-American family from Staten Island, N.Y. Bobby was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis just weeks before his 50th birthday. Determined not to feel sorry for himself, he declared it “an inconvenience” and is on a mission to keep his condition from progressing.
DENISE FLORIO– is an Army medic who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a tank accident and experienced severe PTSD upon her return home. A single mom to daughter Victoria, Denise has participated in multiple Tough Mudder events and has attributed the obstacle course challenge to being a huge part of her healing process. Denise resides in Manchester, N.H.
SEAN CORVELLE – Tough Mudder’s kinetic event warm-up motivator serves in a similar role to the team of four. Corvelle is one of Tough Mudder’s most prominent faces. He gets his stage presence from his years of doing stand-up comedy and acting in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Sean currently resides in Sacramento, Calif.
Flatbush Pictures and Judd Ehrlich, the award-winning documentary team behind We Could Be King, the 2014 Sports Emmy Award-winner for Outstanding Sports Documentary, and recipient of a Grand Clio, is the executive producer of the series, along with Jesse Bull of Tough Mudder. Ehrlich and his team also produced the Tough Mudder web series Finish Strong.
For more information on Tough Mudder, visit ToughMudder.com. Join the conversation and follow Tough Mudder on Twitter at @ToughMudder, on Instagram @Tough_Mudder, on Snapchat at Tough.Mudder, on YouTube at Youtube.com/ToughMudder and on Facebook at Facebook.com/toughmudder.
###
About Tough Mudder, Inc.:
Founded in 2010 with the launch of the Tough Mudder event series of 10-12 mile obstacle courses, Tough Mudder Inc. has since grown to become a leading active lifestyle company and leader in sports video content creation and distribution. The brand includes Tough Mudder Half, an obstacle course challenge bringing the thrills of Tough Mudder to a 5-mile course; Toughest Mudder Series, an eight-hour, overnight competition series; World’s Toughest Mudder, a grueling 24-hour endurance competition; and an extremely vibrant engaging social and digital destination for fitness, nutrition and wellness content delivered across multiple platforms. The Tough Mudder family of brands and online community is united by a commitment to promoting courage, personal accomplishment and teamwork through unconventional, life-changing experiences. With more than 2.5 million participants globally to date, Tough Mudder Inc. produced more than 120 events worldwide in 2016 across five continents, including Asia through its partnerships with Seroja and IMG. More than 20 of the world’s leading brands are sponsorship and content distribution partners, including Merrell, Volvic, Jeep, L’il Critters, US Army, Virgin Active, Olympus, Bosch, Live Stream, The CW and CBS Sports. To join the conversation, follow Tough Mudder on Facebook at facebook.com/toughmudder, on Twitter @ToughMudder, on Snapchat at Tough.Mudder, on YouTube at YouTube.com/ToughMudder and on Instagram @Tough_Mudder.
About The CW:
THE CW TELEVISION NETWORK launched in 2006 as America’s fifth broadcast network, with programming targeting younger viewers, a demographic highly sought after by advertisers. The CW, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, broadcasts a five-night, 10-hour primetime lineup, Monday through Friday. In daytime, The CW broadcasts a Monday through Friday afternoon block, and a five-hour Saturday morning kids block. The CW’s digital channel, CW Seed, launched in 2013, and offers original short-form digital content as well as free, ad-supported streaming of past seasons of fan-favorite television series. For more information about the network, visit www.cwtvpr.com.
