“One, two.. One, two.. ONE, TWO.. ONE! TWO! ONE!! TWO!!” were the only words you could hear echoing the canyons, as three teams of four raced across the field of Stonebridge Park with nothing but looks of sheer determination and a little poise to go with it.

The 2nd Annual Encore Partners Ninja Warrior Challenge took place last weekend. Led by former Ninja Warrior Champions Michael Hartnett, Edison Mu and Betty Garcia, three teams went head to head in this battle of wits to fight for bragging rights and the prestigious title of Encore Partners Ninja Warrior Champions.

The course was made up of 8 different obstacles, from a water bucket race, to a tug-of-war to a 5-legged relay, each challenge was a test of strength, endurance, hand-eye coordination and teamwork.

“At first, it seemed some teams had advantages over others. But as we did each challenge, it became clear it wasn’t just a measure of which team had the biggest guns or the most speed. What it really came down to was TEAMWORK and HEART.”

Some would agree, the days events pushed us beyond what we thought we were capable of, but that’s a concept that is not foreign to this team of tax professionals. While the Ninja Warrior Challenge took us outside and away from our familiar comfort zones, the spirit of competition and drive remained strong, rooted in the very heart of what it means to be a tax professional.

Sure, we pushed ourselves, sweat a bit and exhausted every ounce of energy left in us, but that’s also what a typical workday looks like during tax season. The only difference was that we got to do it while basking in the gorgeous summer sun.