Man Paralyzed During Flint-Area 'Warrior Dash'

Participant Says Course Could Be Dangerous At Times

DETROIT – A Rochester Hills man was paralyzed from the chest down this past weekend when he dove into a mud pit during a 5-kilometer run that was combined with obstacles.

James Sa, 21, was competing in a 5-kilometer Warrior Dash which includes mud crawling, fire leaping and tire and rope climbing obstacles. The Hope College student landed the wrong way after diving into a mud pit.

Recommended Videos



"I never thought something like that could occur from having fun," said Warrior Dash participant Ian Vickers, of Royal Oak.

Vickers is one of more than 20,000 people who participated in the two-day event. He said he saw a number of people get hurt while competing.

"The obstacles I breezed through," said Vickers. "But you have to be very careful because some of the walls were high up. When you went into the water you would take one step and plunge like three feet. So you had to be careful."

The Warrior Dash has taken place in cities across the U.S. According to reports, it is unclear whether Sa's injury will move organizers to make any changes to the competition.

More:Local News Headlines