Adventure racers in top form

Gary Caffell
Adventure racing teams from Rathkeale-St Matthew's senior college came up trumps at the national secondary schools championships held at Lake Tutira, north of Napier, last weekend.
The girls squad took first place in their section with their success following hard on the heels of victory in the Snow Wilkins six-hour race last month, also staged in the Hawke's Bay region.
Of the 35 teams from 18 colleges participating at Lake Tutira 10 of them consisted entirely of girls and the Rathkeale-St Matthews combination of Ella Buckley, Andrea Hirshberg, Amanda Pottinger and Annelise Neal called the tune despite an early setback when Pottinger took a heavy knock to her knee.
Manager Liz Evans was justifiably delighted with the determination and spirit they showed on their way to the title. "The fact they even made it to the finish line was huge, letting alone them getting up to win the girl's section," she said.
In the boys race the Rathkeale-St Matthews team of Hamish Paris, James Price, Daniel Cobeldick and Hans Mills finished a very creditable eighth against formidable opposition in an event which involved a 5am start in a kayak, a technically testing bike leg, cross country running, rope climbing and orienteering, all while finding checkpoints and finishing within 12hrs.
The Rathkeale-St Matthews boys finished without penalties but with only one minute to spare.
They had earlier won the Triples Peaks Challenge in March and completed the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker event at Taupo just before Easter in under 24 hours.
A highlight for both the local teams was the encouragement and inspiration given them by legendary adventure racer Steve Gurney, who made the Coast to Coast his own for so many years.
Gurney was at the pre-race briefing, organised one of the challenges at a transition point and was at the finish line to congratulate every team on making it safely home.
Adventure racing is gaining popularity in this country with Rathkeale-St Matthews senior college being rated one of the top schools in the North Island, and one of the few where adventure racing is actually offered as a school sport.