MudRunFun Magazine Dec. 2013 | Page 29

about getting a SISU Team going in their neck of the woods. And so, the seed that had been planted just a year earlier had grown into something Daren could now see had potential for even more growth. The Weeple-SISU Connection Around this same time Daren met Weeple Army founder Dave Huckle. For those that have been living under a rock for the past few years the Weeple Army has become a force to be reckoned with at obstacle course races and other race events across the country. The Weeple Army members show up en masse in their green and black Weeple Army race gear waving the Weeple flag. They come to run together and help each other out on the course. No Weeple is left behind. This ethic has attracted athletes of all levels and ages and encouraged them to get off the couch and challenge themselves with the support and encouragement of their fellow Weeples. The Weeple reach is both near and far. In 2012, the Weeple Army was crowned the Biggest Team winner by Spartan Race. The relationship between Team SISU and the Weeple Army is symbiotic with lots of crossover in membership. The two groups actively seek ways brand is run by a core group led by Daren De Heras to collaborate and the partnership has solidified and Spartan racer/promoter/coach, Matt Trinca. recently as Team SISU has officially become the “extreme training branch of the Weeple Army.” One of the unique characteristics of Team SISU: not only is it a team that trains and races together, it SISU Now As Team SISU has grown, so have its aspirations. What began as a rag tag group of a half dozen people has expanded to over 1,000 people spread across the country, over four SISU chapters: SISU West (the original), SISU East, SISU Midwest and SISU Texas. Each chapter is led by a SISU ambassador with the freedom to organize their own local events. The SISU is also a group that creates and runs its own events. And they are becoming more popular, not just because they are designed for bad-asses, but also because they also make room for athletes of various levels to test their endurance and fortitude. Some events vary the weight requirement of objects to be carried, and others have different distances to cover, or time spans to survive. Regardless of the