Runnin’ tattoo: Jamie

For once this article will be in English. With a good reason I have to say… Almost two weeks ago (time flies) I was in the United States for the first Worldchampionships Obstacle Course Racing. I found out I was not the only one who was overwhelmed by this phenomenal event. We all (and by ‘we’ I mean all the athletes and supporters) have the after-OCR-WC-blues. Some of them so badly they daily want to be remembered of this amazing experience we had. Meet Jamie, who tattooed the OCRWC logo on her body. Awesome!!

[heading size=4 style=underline]Jamie[/heading]Jamie participated in the OCR WC in the agegroup 18-24 years. This is her story.

Jamie: I’ve been following elite OCR athletes on social media (instagram, facebok, etc) for a few years now. I was always inspired and amazed by their abilities and the races they were able to compete in. I looked to them and thought to myself that I could never do what they did, that I’d never be able to run races like that. Finally on a whim I signed up for my first race, a Spartan Sprint, and had almost 6 months to prepare. I almost didn’t go out of fear, but ended up running it and becoming obsessed. Shortly after I was signing up for the other 2/3rds of my trifecta as well as Mud, Guts, and Glory (the venue for OCRWC 2014 and 2015). With OCRWC 2014 under my belt, I have plans to run a multitude of races next year – as many as possible!
I attended the inaugural OCRWC this past October. Initially I registered as a journeymen as I would have exactly 4 qualifying races completed by the time of the event. Much to my surprise I qualified in my age group at the Spartan Vermont Beast and switched to age group (18-24). Not only was it an honor to be able to compete at the first OCRWC, but all three days were filled with great memories. I meet people from all over the US, Canada, and all over the world. Even though I may have been talking with someone that came from another country, city, state, etc I never felt as if they were strangers. They were just new friends united under our love for the sport of obstacle course racing. I saw accomplishments and triumphs from a variety of athletes from the elites to journeymen to age groupers. In my opinion everyone who finished that course was a champion. While I was there I never once heard talk of what race company, sponsor, or OCR flag (tough mudder, Spartan, etc) these athletes participated under. Of course we all have races, gear companies, and supplements we love, but we truly were united and just there to run. The feeling that weekend was amazing and while I know that I will never forget my experiences, I wanted to carry that feeling in a permanent way – hence the tattoo.
I have 12 tattoos total. Two of them are specifically running related (OCRWC and Spartan Trifecta) while 4 are motivational and can be applied to running. The OCRWC tattoo is located on my right shoulder blade. Luke Forton at Art and Soul Tattoo in Portage, MI did my OCRWC tattoo as well as my Spartan Trifecta tattoo. The tattoo design was based off of the banner from the OCRWC website. The outline of the countries is a subtle brown that was actually taken from the finisher medal on team day. I wanted to have the OCRWC logo (‘OCR’ and the wings) but also wanted to have the idea of OCR united as well as represent the athletes that had traveled far and wide to compete, which is why I decided to have the world map as well. This tattoo encapsulates my wonderful experience those three days  I was in Ohio. It is also a testimony to personal triumph as 2014 was my first year as not only a runner, but also an obstacle course racer. Not only that, but the idea of OCR united is a beautiful concept that I think has been proven at the OCRWC as achievable. This needs to permeate the entire culture of OCR.

I was absolutely floored by the response the OCRWC 2014 community had. Within a few hours the image had been shared across facebook as well as used in videos and ads by well known OCR companies and writers. It also catches the eye of those who do not know what ‘OCR’ stands for and starts a conversation about the sport. As I am very much in love with the sport, I enjoy sharing my passion. OCR is a unique sport that welcomes all skill levels with open arms. I think that there is something for everyone in the world of obstacle course racing. OCR to me means pushing yourself to do your best, to try your hardest, and to never give up. It also means family as that is how the community feels.

I’m sure I’ll go under the needle in the future. I have plans to finish my left arm as I would like to have a full sleeve. As for planned ink, I have a tattoo design sketched up in memorial of my friend who recently passed away.

Thank you Jamie for sharing your story with us!
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