Japan's next Kagoshima Gladiator

When it comes to putting brute strength to the test whilst going head to head in fierce competition I am never one to back away from a challenge. This is why when I heard wind of a Kagoshima JET Obstacle Course Challenge I made sure I was able to join in on the event!

However, as I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy task I made sure not to go into the challenge ill-equipped. To prepare my mind and my heart for the battle I did what anyone in training would do: stay up late into the evening watching American Gladiator YouTube clips like this one. But would it be enough? Did I actually have what it took to be Japan’s next Kagoshima Gladiator? Only time would tell.

To power up with nutrients on the morning of the big day I ate a double portion of natto and a raw egg over rice to get a burst of energy that I knew I would need for the competition. After arriving to the course and sizing up the other competitors it was clear that I had my work cut out for me.

As the rules were explained I soon learned we wouldn't be competing alone, but instead we would be competing in teams which were to be chosen by lottery . As fate would have it Curtis and I made it onto the same team and I knew from that moment forward he would be our team’s secret weapon.

We had an hour and half to complete as many of the 25 or so obstacles which lay before us. The first team to have all their team members finish the challenge and return back to the starting line took home the title of Japan's next Kagoshima Gladiator.

So did we win? oh yeah. . . by a landslide!! We sweat and we bled and sure enough our team took home the first place title. Victory!!