The purpose of the OCR Humanitarian Award co-sponsored by Mud Run Guide and North American OCR Championships is to recognize an individual within the obstacle racing community who consistently exhibits humanitarian traits off the course. This includes:
1. Giving of him/herself without expectation of compensation
2. Embraces common moral decencies such as altruism, integrity, responsibility, and compassion
3. Improves the lives of others through selfless, courageous, and compassionate acts
The OCR Humanitarian Award selection committee composed of representatives from For Those Who Would, Mud Run Guide, and North American OCR Championships chose 4 finalists. Because we are part of the OCR Community and because we want to shine a positive light on these individuals’ selfless acts in order to inspire others, we give the OCR community a vote in the final selection. In the event of a tie in the selection committee’s final vote, the OCR community vote serves as the tie breaker. Please read about the wonderful things these finalists are doing and cast your vote below.
Voting will close on Thursday, July 5 at 6:00 EST. The winner will be announced the week of July 9. The winner and finalists will be recognized during a dinner at the 2018 North American OCR Championships in Stratton, Vermont.
Brian Nichol
Brian Nichol of Toronto, Ontario has been training homeless youth to prepare for OCR races for 6 years. He runs multiple training sessions weekly (on his own time), in which he rewards attendance and effort by taking those youth to OCR races. He pays for the races by funds that he also raises through his group called “ONE Strength OCR”. His selfless commitment to bettering the lives of these at-risk youth has seen many positive outcomes including youth who have obtained employment, quit drugs/drinking, lost weight, or generally improved their self confidence.
Jeff Murphy
Jeff Murphy of Ozark, Missouri is described by his nominator as “always willing to help someone in need.” Examples of his selfless acts within the past 12 months include raising money to purchase sporting equipment for Nicaraguan children, sending money to Nicaraguan citizens to help them during this time of violent conflict, and raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in his co-worker’s niece’s name.
Bill Slaughter
Bill Slaughter from Richmond, Virginia is described by his nominator as “the one to go out of his way to help anyone he runs across.” Examples of his selfless acts include taking two autistic and intellectually challenged boys “under his wing.” He has helped them work through their social issues by getting them involved in obstacle racing. On Fridays he volunteers at the local food bank. As a Navy veteran, he has also worked with the local high school’s JROTC cadets, marching with them in parades and taking the corp to Arlington National Cemetery.
Lindsay Webster
Lindsay Webster, from Caledon, Ontario is described by her nominator as someone who “acts how I aspire to interact with people both face-to-face and online. The impact of her demeanor carries itself into the rest of our community, shaping its collective consciousness by adding a dose of humility into the barrage of OCR social media. As a result, many children have benefited from her charity work.” Lindsay spent her entire March in India on a mission trip with Back to Back Ministries helping children in need. She has also raised money for Love Your Melon, an organization that sells beanies to raise money for children with cancer.
