Competitors make their way through the Kiss of Mud during Saturday’s Tough Mudder Indiana at Ceraland.
Nicholas Shaw | For The Republic
While most of the competitors in this year’s Tough Mudder Indiana traversed the 15K or 5K Ceraland course on Saturday, several hundred more will do it on Sunday morning.
At least a handful of local residents competed for a cause on Sunday. For his senior project, incoming Columbus North senior basketball player Ben Ferguson is raising money for the Tim Tebow Foundation.
Founded by the former Heisman Trophy winning University of Florida and NFL quarterback, the Tim Tebow Foundation provides for the physical and spiritual care of children who have been left homeless or abandoned and fights human trafficking and child exploitation. Its mission is to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.
“The Tim Tebow Foundation is doing amazing stuff for kids throughout the world and is really making a difference in kids lives all around of the world,” Ferguson said. “The reason I’m doing this is to give back and raise awareness around the community and the work they’re doing so I can give back to the Tim Tebow Foundation.”
Ben Ferguson
Ferguson, who has cystic fibrosis, was part of Tebow’s “W15H Program,” which fulfills the dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses who wish to meet Tebow. W15H experiences provide children with travel, accommodations, customized daily activities, dining reservations, gifts, and one-on-one time with him.
When Ferguson was 13, he went to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to spend time with Tebow at an LSU-Auburn game.
“Through that experience, I really thought, ‘Wow, I want to give back to this foundation because they’re doing great things throughout the world,” Ferguson said.
So last year, Ferguson did Tough Mudder with some family and friends and raised close to $5,000 for the Tim Tebow Foundation.
“I’ve been with the Tim Tebow Foundation for a couple of years now,” Ferguson said. “Last year was my first year doing the Tough Mudder, and it was kind of just me reaching out to friends and family, sharing my story and why I’m doing this.”
Local chiropractor and Tough Mudder veteran Nate Frasier is Ferguson’s mentor for the senior project. Frasier led an online fundraiser for Ferguson and raised $500 in two days.
Frasier and four of the people he trains competed in the Tough Mudder on Sunday — Carson Dibble, JR Honeas, Zack Purtlebaugh and Ethan Smith — pledged to do five pushups for every dollar that they raised. That’s 2,500 pushups — or 500 for each of the five — which they will videotape at EPIC Gym, where they work out.
“Ben came to me at the beginning of the summer and asked if we were going to do the Tough Mudder,” Frasier said. “I typically mentor one or two people with their senior project, and we had interest in this, so it seemed like a good fit.”
“I kind of wanted to level it up this year,” Ferguson added. “Nate Frasier has done this before and had a group that did it, and I thought he would be a great person to help with this. He’s been a tremendous help so far.”
Ferguson was joined in the Tough Mudder by his father Paul — the boys basketball coach at North — and brothers Ty and Caleb, along with family friend Brian Shewmaker and basketball teammates Mason Acton, Zach Fedor and Ben Kriesant.
Assistant coach Dalton Judd also has a group of about 10 competitors that did the Tough Mudder 5K with Ferguson’s group and Frasier’s group.
So far, Ben Ferguson has raised a little more than $3,000 this year. Anyone interested in donating can contact him at [email protected]
Ben attends the Tim Tebow Celebrity Golf Gala each year in Tebow’s hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. Ben, who hopes to play basketball in college, has been taking the drug Trikafta since he has been in high school and said it has eased his symptoms from cystic fibrosis.
“Since that came out, I’ve been healthier,” he said. “Sometimes, my lungs get tight, and it affects me. But it has not affected me as much.”
