Jordan Dix is a participant in Tough Mudder X, an obstacle course and endurance contest filmed in Virginia and airing over the next three weeks on CBS. (Photo by Amy Goalen)
Jordan Dix knows about hard work and dedication. The 27-year-old athlete and Army captain also talks a good game. After missing the deadline to enter the 2018 Tough Mudder X World Championship, which airs on national television beginning this weekend, he repeatedly emailed the company responsible for the event, asking to be included in the obstacle and endurance contest. Eventually, they gave in and allowed Dix to compete.
Tough Mudder isn’t his first competition. Dix, a James River High School graduate, spent four years at a military school in South Carolina on a wrestling scholarship and competed in his first Ironman triathlon a few months ago. But the Tough Mudder X event is something different altogether. It’s billed as “the most insane race around,” featuring obstacles with names such as “Arctic Enema,” “Kong” and “Devil’s Beard.” Participants bench-press sandbags, climb walls, jump on boxes, and crawl and run through mud, among other things that will make them wet, tired and dirty.
Tough Mudder X was held earlier this summer in Doswell, and Dix and the athletes competed for nearly $70,000 at the all-day competition. The competition will be shown on CBS for the next three Saturdays (preview July 14, semifinals July 21 and finals July 28) at 1 p.m. We spoke to Dix before the June competition about his preparation and plans for the future.
Richmond magazine: How did you find out about Tough Mudder X?
Jordan Dix: I ... found out online and through Instagram, and I was like, “I think I can compete with these guys." When I found out about it, I literally stayed up all night watching the one-hour special from [last year’s competition], and that’s when I was hooked and I said to myself, "I need to find a way to get into this."
RM: Do you want to get involved in more obstacle race competitions?
Dix: I’ll say this: I was super competitive through high school and college wrestling, and then I kinda needed a break, which was good because I went to Hawaii. So the last four years in Hawaii, I stayed active, but I also [made a point to relax], which I needed because I was so disciplined throughout my wrestling career. But I always knew I would come back and compete in something. I just was waiting for the right time. And then I did the Ironman [competition] and started to get the bug again. And I was in really good shape when I found out about this event, and it seemed like now was the time to come back.
RM: How do you see yourself finishing the Tough Mudder event?
Dix: I want to win the whole thing! Anything can happen, you know. A lot of my role models, people that I really look up to, men and women, are in this competition, so I’m extremely realistic, but I also truly believe I can win. So I’m gonna do my best. I want to represent Richmond well. It’s easy for people to forget where they come from, but I don’t. I [have] so many teachers and coaches and family here who helped me. So this is one way while I’m home on leave I can get a chance to represent Richmond as the “Richmond Kid.”
