Well it is here! The crazy world of XPD adventure racing has hit the Australian shores in Shoalhaven NSW. This time around it is the world championships. A lot of you will remeber that Emma raced the XPD Australia event last year in Townsville and things did not go as planned. After 6 days of non stop racing over 600+kms her body let her down and sever sunburn, cellulitis of the calves and massive blistering saw her land in hospital in a lot of pain. Her team lost their way when the navigators overshot the last check point on the 2nd last leg and they spent 9 hours looking for it. Eventually, after 27 hours of trekking and 12 hours without food and water in the Queensland heat, they had to call time on their race. Very disappointing for all. But Emma Weitnauer is a household name here in Tassie and those who know her well know she never gives up. Determined not to let the race beat her, she is once again throwing herself into the jaws of the XPD worlds 2016. A new team, new team members and hours and hours of training behind her, she set off on Monday destined to race hard and cross the finish line with her body intact.
The XPD adventure race consists of trekking, Mt biking and kayak legs consecutive non stop 24/7 racing. There are no compulsary rest times and teams can sleep as much or as little as they like. Last year Emma had about 4 hours sleep in total over 6 days of racing, now that is hardcore! The total distances this year are 115km of trekking, 322km or Mt biking, 185km of kayaking and a fun caving leg of 5km. The kayaking is not always on ski either, I hear there is a white water rafting leg thrown in the mix. That alone would be enough to have me running straight back to the airport with my tail between my legs! All up thats 627km of racing broken up into 14 legs. it is expected that the lead teams will take around 96hours to complete the course, insane!! It will be interesting to see how good these teams are, the NZ and USA teams are very good and I think the French are pretty good too! While my support is totally behind team #29 Rapid Ascent, I wish all the Australian competitors the very best of luck during the race. Competitors from around the world, be safe, race hard and get across that finish line.
To Emma, my best mate, you my friend are an inspiration to us all. Your ability to just keep getting up and racing at this level is nothing short of amazing. You have climbed the highest of highs in your sporting career and have proven time and time again that commitment, determination and hard work will always get you to where you want to be. Stay safe out there buddy, remember the Gorilla from Townsville? Now is the time to finally get it. Race hard and smart, look after those feet and DON’T FORGET THE SUNSCREEN!!. See you on the other side xx
For those of you who would like to keep track of the race you can dot watch here 24/7. WARNING!! Dot watching is addictive!http://live.arworldseries.com/arwc16/
