Crawling through tight muddy spaces, submerging into ice cold water, and being shocked by 1000 volts of electricity are just a few obstacles faced when doing the Tough Mudder challenge.
For years, Robert Blight has participated in Tough Mudder and Spartan races. When he isn’t going through challenging obstacles, he is leading a team as the Community Director of Crystal Cove for Lewis Apartment Communities in Las Vegas, NV.
A Construct of the Mind
Robert tells us about the motivations and challenges of these extreme races and how he inspires others.
We heard you’re into obstacle courses; how many have you done?
Robert (bottom) carrying friends along the way.
“Probably 15-20 Tough Mudder races, Spartan races and other miscellaneous races that pop up now and then. I’d never done anything like them before, but I’ve been doing this about four years now. I started with a friend who was a Personal Trainer. They’re races; courses packed with obstacles like walls to climb, crawling through mud, 35 degree ice-cold water, electric shock wires that zap you, all sorts of stuff”.
What motivates you to take the challenge?
“It reminded me of my time in the Marine Corps. After the first race, I was hooked. It’s fun and something different. I used to go to the gym all the time and that was getting boring. This is different and unique. I’ve even had some of my Lewis co-workers join me—or rather I talked them into joining me. A couple of them have gone on to do other races, but some co-workers were one and done. I like that many of the races donate a percentage of the proceeds to charities, like the Wounded Warrior Project.
Connecting Passions and Careers
Now a Community Director at the same apartment community where he first started as a leasing consultant, Robert is continuing to grow within the company through hardwork and determination and discusses how each race motivates him in his career path:
Just some of Robert’s many awards.
How do you connect this passion with your career?
“It definitely gives you that no-quit attitude, that feeling of ‘You start something, you finish it’. It’s problem-solving. It’s facing challenges. You figure out a way to solve the problem and you go for it. It’s motivating and so much fun. You meet so many people. I love it.”
Learn More
Want to learn more about working at Lewis? Omar Martinez can tell you how his experiences in construction management led him to work for Lewis Retail Centers. Learn more.