Kick arse news combined with important question for Aussie obstacle racers - needs response: Since my first Tough Mudder in the beginning of 2013 my life has spiralled in an unbelievable way. Not so much out of control, but certainly not contained in any way either. Suffice to say, Ive found the greatest, strongest and most supportive community Ive ever been involved with. Ive found a sport I can take as seriously as I want, but when I need to back off, its still there for me. Ive become a successful national level obstacle racer and even raced overseas with Australias first National Obstacle Racing team at the Spartan Race World Champs. And now, the biggest OCR adventure of all, Ive just moved to another state to take over ObstacleRacing.au. This is less than 12 months into the picture. Its an enormous deal but if Ive learned anything from obstacle racing its this: People are amazing, you can actually trust them and you can believe in dreams coming true. You just gotta chase. And chase hard. Learn to love the obstacle life and youve just unlocked the secret to finding happiness and adventure anywhere, anytime, in the face of any adversity. So here is my next obstacle, to make my own way with what I have before me - the beginnings of a magazine system, a shell of a website, a kick arse Facebook community, amazing friends and the best community of support you could ask for. Obstacle Racing.au is going to expand like you wouldnt believe. And its going to be an insanely awesome place to come and hang out. Here comes the but. Obstacle Racing Magazine. This year I unearthed a passion for writing. My focus has been all digital, blogging my Pure Will heart out on a personal blog almost daily for most of 2013. Print media is a whole different ball game, and though I contributed to issue 2 of the mag, and came on board to partner as editor-in-chief for issue 3, this hard copy stuff is still a big scary world to navigate. The writing is nothing. Coordinating and bringing real to life sight, touch and smell publishing, thats a tough gig. The hard work isnt the issue here. I have the drive and the work ethic to make it happen. The issue is the financial ability to keep the print issue running. I cant help feeling the hard copy print version of Obstacle Racing Magazine is one the coolest assets of the community. Despite that, after looking into the numbers I can tell you I cant keep it coming in its current format. You see, Obstacle Racing Magazine started as an inclusion into the package provided to all who signed up to the Aussie Obstacle Course Racing League or the Obstacle Course Racing Association. It was in fact owned by the Association in that sense. Unfortunately, the distribution numbers, while enthusiastic and supportive, have not been anywhere near high enough to make it a commercially viable option. And were not talking profit here, were talking covering costs to bring cool stuff to the people. In other words the founder, Adam McDonald, has been funding each and every issue out of his own back pocket. Consider the Magazine now off on its own adventure, taking off from the nest and seeing if it can fly on its own. So Im hoping the picture is becoming clear. Im taking over Obstacle Racing but Im starting from close to nil resources. Adam is not leaving me isolated and without help. But it is up to me to be hustling my obstacle racing butt off to make Obstacle Racing awesome. And the way things are looking this very moment, the print edition of Obstacle Racing Magazine wont make the cut for 2014. Im a personal trainer who quit a well paying desk job a few years back to chase dreams. And here I am chasing. Ive got the drive. Ive got the work ethic. But I dont have the resources. Now, from discussions with Adam I can tell you he is still going to provide the community with a print magazine subscription. It will just be that of Search4hurt Magazine, not Obstacle Racing Magazine, as that is what he is leaving to focus on (from talks I also know the Search4hurt mag will feature OCR, but obviously not to the same extent as a pure OCR mag). I would love to bring an Obstacle Racing Magazine to the community too, and it makes perfect sense for the mag to partner up in some way with the Association. But Im working bottom up, rather than top down, if you know what I mean. My question is, do you care? Do you want a print edition of the mag, released quarterly, full colour, with that freshly minted smell? Do you want to collect issues, have them out on the coffee table, or tucked in to the magazine rack for quick reads in the loo? Or is digital as good, if not better? Is iPad access the better option so you can catch all the OCR good stuff on the train or bus, or almost where ever, whenever, you need? If the people want it, Ill fight for it. And I have some ideas. But if no one is much bothered, lets go digital. What say you?
Posted on: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 22:36:44 +0000
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