Laughter and cheers were not all that erupted across the Harrison County Fair Grounds on Sunday, April 24, as teams of women converged on this year’s Muddy Princess 5K Obstacle Mud Run.
     The event, which brings breast cancer awareness and encourages women to get regular checkups, boasted women dressed out in pink, pairing sneakers with tutus, energized and ready to hit the trail. And after a quick warm-up session with the event’s Muddy Princess Gulf Coast CEO Sandra Loosen, they were off.
     “I can’t wait,” said Chanell Wilborn from Slidell, La., who was participating in the event alongside her peers for their first time.
     The course took the women over three miles of muddy terrain and 18 obstacles of varying difficulty. It was suitable for women of all ages, shapes, and sizes, and designed so that anyone, at any level, from newbies to experts, could participate and also have a good time.
     “I am so excited…It will be a lot of fun and a great memory,” said Julie Dunn of D’Iberville who paired up for the event with her niece, Paige Dunn of Long Beach.
     This year, there were 2,700 women who registered to run and 60 volunteers, some of whom were also scheduled to run by themselves.
     “We encourage women to get out on the course they usually wouldn’t do. We also encourage teamwork, inclusivity, and so on,” Loosen explained.

     Covid threw some added challenges to this year’s event with increased safety measures and restrictions, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of those attending.
     “There are 19 of us, total, running today,” said Tiffany Bealer about team Crossfit Brackish from Cutoff, La.  Lacey Messer, another member of team Crossfit Brackish celebrated, “I made my goal!” as she prepared for her heat to start.  
     As participants showed up to the event at their scheduled race times, they received goodie bags full of samples provided by sponsors such as Nature by Canus, Super Coffee, and Ultima Replenisher. Organizers kept racers in the loop on everything from the sponsor lists to the weather, and even different types of exercises to do at home leading up to the event through their social media pages on Facebook, Muddy Princess Gulf Coast, MS, and Instagram, Muddy Princess USA.
     According to Loosen, next year’s race is already in the works and planned for April 24, 2022.             
     “Come back next year. Come join in the fun,” Loosen said. “Don’t be afraid of the mud. It’s fun once you’re in there.”

On the Cover: Mary Hoffman of Ocean Springs, Amy Mathney and Lori Moshner, both of Biloxi, and Nancy Koon, also of Ocean Springs.

Cassandra Foreman

Cassandra Foreman is a U.S. Air Force veteran whose creative spirit and love for imagery has presented her with some incredible opportunities both personally and professionally. From a young age, she was always involved in the arts in some way, whether it was music, drama, drawing or taking pictures. Growing up in Washington and Alaska, there was no shortage of picturesque opportunities. And in her teenage years, she discovered her passion for photography. Today, Cassandra resides in D’Iberville, Miss., and enjoys “turning moments into memories” while capturing the beauty in the world around her. She has, in recent years, focused her photography skills and extraordinary attention to detail on helping others seize life’s precious moments. Overall, Cassandra enjoys being a part of the creative process from start to finish. She loves working with others and bringing ideas to life.