Dogs are a lot better than me for many reasons. They’re cuter, friendlier, and much better at following commands. So it’s no surprise that a 6-year-old Australian Shepherd named Roxie is also tougher than me. This dog gets down and dirty in obstacle course races like Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash. She’s so tough that she’s even been named an official Tough Mudder Ambassador.
Besides being extremely athletic, Roxie is also extremely smart. She’s a service dog for her owner Desiree Rincon, who suffers from seizures due to her diabetes. Roxie is so in tune with her owner that she can actually sense when her blood sugar is getting too low and when she might be at risk for a seizure. When she senses Rincon is in trouble, she alerts her owner and guides her to a safe place.
Rincon got Roxie through a program called Pets for Vets, a nonprofit that helps pair service dogs with veterans. Rincon served in the Army as a Staff Sergeant, but was forced to leave the service when she was diagnosed with gastric cancer in 2011. With Roxie’s help, she was able to recover from her illness and start training for Tough Mudder races.
This November, Roxie and Rincon are headed to Vegas for the World’s Toughest Mudder. This 24-hour event pushes athletes to complete a 5-mile obstacle course loop as many times as possible. With obstacles like Everest and the Mud Mile, it’s definitely no easy task.
With multiple Tough Mudders and hundreds of other races under her belt (er…collar), Roxie doesn’t seem like she’s slowing down anytime soon.
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