UM grad competes in TV’s ‘Spartan Challenge’

UPPER MERION » When the season opener of “Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge” debuts on NBC at 10 p.m. June 12, one of the fierce competitors vying for a $250,000 grand prize by undergoing a grueling obstacle course will look familiar to a lot of people.

A veteran of nearly 50 Spartan races, former Upper Merion Area High School soccer star Liz Schlagel said she was genuinely shocked when she got the call to head for the filming of the popular eight-week series in Atlanta last April.

“I knew there were hundreds of teams that had applied for the show and that they were only picking 24 teams, so to get that phone call I was ecstatic,” said Schlagel, who, like most of her TV competitors, took on the challenge as a personal crusade of sorts.

Standing 4 feet, 10 inches tall, the 29-year-old said her petite size often leads others to doubt her athletic prowess.

“People don’t really understand how tall 4-feet-10 is until they see me,” she said, laughing. “It’s always a little harder for me to prove to people that I am a competitor, because at first glance I definitely don’t look like one. I’m very tiny to be considered an athlete of any kind. I weigh 90 pounds soaking wet. So, with the ‘Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge’ I knew I had a chance to prove to the world that we’re capable, just like every-

SUBMITTED PHOTO The Little Giants competing on TV’s “Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge” Monday are, from left, Dustin Livengood, Jodie Fleming, Kevin Donoghue, Liz Schlagel and Corey Raymo.