Wilmington, NC -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/03/2015 -- The Shade family of Wilmington, N.C. is proving that "you never know what you can do until you try" by undertaking two of the toughest obstacle course races in the world.

Steven Shade, a personal trainer at SHAPE Fitness Group in Wilmington, made the decision a year ago to train for the Spartan Ultra Beast in Killington, Vt., as well as the World's Toughest Mudder competition in Las Vegas. Little did he know that on his road to the most grueling competitions in the world, his participation in other challenging races to prepare would include his wife, Amina and 7-year-old daughter Mia, whom he affectionately calls "Cheese."

Over the past year, the entire family has traveled together to support Steven in the various obstacle course races and often greet him at finish lines with kisses and cheers. On Sept. 20, 2015, Steven completed the Spartan Ultra Beast which involved over 29 miles and 75 challenging obstacles. He finished the Ultra Beast in 11:19:40 — 95th overall. Amina and Mia participated in their own divisions of this Spartan competition. In the Spartan Sprint (3+ miles/20+ obstacles), Amina finished 31st in her age group and 600th out of 1500 participants. Mia participated in the 1-mile kids' race with its own set of obstacles that included a 4-foot wall and high steps through tires. Mia also helped a fellow participant through the log carry portion of the competition.

Steven has been training for the Spartan Ultra Beast and the World's Toughest Mudder since September of 2014. On his blog, he states "I was not looking to prove anything to anybody but myself…I hope my story can inspire someone in the fact that I am a decent athlete, but everything I have achieved has been because of hard work." And Steven's hard work has certainly paid off. He has completed over 253 race miles this year.

Steven's focus is now set towards his next and biggest challenge, the World's Toughest Mudder competition Nov. 14th & 15th, an "extreme 24-hour obstacle course challenge built on the desert sands of Las Vegas." However, he is already a champion to his family, friends and community.

For further information about Steven's experience, visit his blog

Media Contact:
Katharine Hesmer
Telephone: 910-538-4300
Email: shapegetin@me.com
Steven Shade Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steven.shade.902?fref=ts
Shape Fitness Group Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SHAPE.FitnessGroup/?fref=
Website: www.shapegetin.com