HANNAH BRYAN gets tough and up to her neck in mud in the “planet’s most hardcore obstacle race”.

IT's 10.42am on a Sunday morning and I can barely breathe.

The freezing cold temperature of the water has taken my breath away and I've still got a good metre and a half to swim through before I can escape.

Plunging underneath the icy water I push wildly through ice cubes under a wooden plank covered in tyres and swim through to the other side climbing out breathless and heavy.

This is how I, amongst thousands of others, decided to spend my Sunday; taking part in Tough Mudder Yorkshire, held at Broughton Hall, Skipton.

Described as Possibly the Toughest Event on the Planet and designed by Special Forces teams, Tough Mudder is a ten-12 mile obstacle course designed to test strength, stamina, mental determination and teamwork. There's a massive emphasis on teamwork as without your fellow Mudders it would be impossible to complete the course.

But before you can even attempt to complete the course and tackle the more than 20 obstacles you must take The Mudder Pledge.

At the start line, with one hand on our heart we recited: "Tough Mudder is not a race, but a challenge. I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time.

“I do not whine - kids whine. I help my fellow Mudders complete the course.

“I overcome all fears."

Fired up and ready to go, we set off to a thunderous applause from spectators. Arctic Enema, which was the second obstacle, was for me by far the most challenging, both mentally and physically to get through, but after that the toughness continued.

Across 12 miles we tackled crawling under barbed wire through mud on our bellies, climbing over walks aided by teammates and squeezing ourselves through tubes partly filled with muddy water.

Then came Mud Mile, "the most hardcore mile you will ever run" according to the Mudder team, and they're not wrong. For that one mile you are wading waist deep through mud pits, trying to keep your balance, and your shoes, as you navigate. Climbing out of one pit and sliding down in to the next proves a real challenge when weighed down by thick mud and gripping on to anything other than a Mudder mate is impossible.

Mud Mile has to be one of my favourite obstacles of the race along with Walk the Plank. If heights aren't you thing, Walk the Plank will help you to overcome that fear as your climb your way to the top of a 12 foot high platform and throw yourself off in to a pit of deep muddy water.

Towards the end of the course was the infamous Everest, a quarter-pipe obstacle covered in mud and grease as you try to run up it and grab the hands of your fellow Mudders to pull you up. Many are sent sliding back down to the beginning but with the help of your team and some determination the view from the top is definitely worth it.

But before you think you're home and dry, well most definitely not dry, there's what could be described as the most brutal obstacle of all; Electroshock Therapy.

10,000 volts of electricity running though about 1,000 wires dangling from a wooden structure and you have got to run through it. Some people crawl, some people try and dodge the wires but the best way to do it is with your team, because that's what Tough Mudder's all about.

At the other side just past the finish line you can see your pint and the iconic orange head band waiting for you and that's definitely worth a couple of electric shocks.

The atmosphere and camaraderie throughout the event screamed teamwork throughout and by the end of the course you definitely feel as though you've conquered probably the toughest event on the planet. The desire to push and challenge yourself is addictive and Tough Mudder is the perfect way to satisfy that urge, so much so that I've already signed up to another one. HOO-RAH.