Photo by Eric Ayres Cassandra Elliott and her No. 1 fan and supporter, son Harrison, prepare for the Tough as Nails Urban Challenge, presented by The Health Plan. Sunday's event was the first time Wheeling's 'first family' tackled the urban challenge, but Cassandra's husband – Mayor Glenn Elliott – has vowed to participate next year.

WHEELING — The “first family” in the city of Wheeling joined in the crazy fun this weekend as Cassandra Elliott took part in her first Tough as Nails Urban Challenge presented by The Health Plan.

Sunday’s first venture into the downtown obstacle course by Wheeling’s “first lady” not only was a personal challenge for her, but it also will likely serve as somewhat of a reconnaissance mission. Her husband – Mayor Glenn Elliott – has publicly vowed to participate in next year’s event.

There’s no backing out of the Tough as Nails Urban Challenge during the 2024 Ogden Newspaper Wellness Weekend for the mayor, who will be completing his second and final term in office next summer. He declined an offer to try to tackle the course this year.

“I asked him, and he said he wants to be able to walk this week,” Cassandra Elliott jabbed. “He’s already committed – he’s going to do it with Chad Thalman.”

The Elliotts noted that the mayor has already put out a public challenge with Vice Mayor Chad Thalman – and they plan to stick to the commitment.

“If the vice mayor does it, I told him I would do it,” Glenn Elliott said. “And I will beat him.”

Cassandra Elliott will be a Tough as Nails veteran next year when the mayor will be held to his race commitment. This year, however, she said she was looking forward to pushing herself to take on the wildly popular event.

“It’s just the challenge,” she said of her desire to participate this year. “I’ve never ever done any kind of race – nothing. I walked the (5K Twin Pops Walk For Health presented by Ziegenfelder) yesterday for the first time.”

But the Tough as Nails is a different animal, and it’s the big challenge for the weekend – one she said she was not planning on facing alone.

“It’s a fun run,” she said. “I’m doing it with five other girls, and we’re doing it for fun.”

That’s not to say that preparation has not been an important step leading up to this weekend. Cassandra Elliott said that over the past several weeks, she has been focused on her physical and mental preparation for Sunday’s big event.

“I’ve been running like five miles every other day and doing some circuit strength training,” she said. “We have done the steps that we’re supposed to do — the ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ The first time I did it, I was like, ‘am I really going to be able to do this?'”

While some of the obstacles may seem daunting, getting through them efficiently and wisely may be the best strategy, she indicated.

“The biggest challenge I think is going to be either the rope climb – or, I’m nervous for the pods in the pool,” she said. “That’s my biggest fear – is to fall in, get your feet wet and then have to run the rest of the race with soggy socks.”

Becoming a veteran of the course will undoubtedly give the Elliotts an apparent advantage in next year’s mayor-versus-vice mayor challenge now that the gauntlet has been thrown down. Cassandra Elliott indicated that a victory by the mayor will be a triumphant swan song for him, and the preparation will likely have to begin immediately.

“He’s going to be in training with me all year for this,” she laughed.