Tuesday, 22 February 2011 08:51
Top local AR team plan on going big
Mountain biking, trail running and adventure racing are booming around the country, especially as part of the mushrooming number of outdoor multi-sport races presented around SA. As a means of getting people of all walks of life into the great outdoors, the Run/Bike/Swim/Paddle scenario has got to be the best way to get people off the couch and OUTSIDE.
As a brand Merrell understands this 100%, therefore it came as no surprise to see them join forces with the Adventure Addicts when the team’s previous sponsorship came to an end late last year. “Moving on was a natural progression for us”, says Graham Bird, captain of the Adventures Addicts foursome, “and with Merrell, the team knew right from the start that we all have exactly the same vision for the coming year”.
Judging by their race calendar, 2011 is indeed going to be a massive year for the Merrell Adventure Addicts. A couple of smaller events will build up to the GARMIN Wartrail, a three-day suffer fest of extreme trail running, mountain biking and paddling in the remotest reaches of the Eastern Cape. Athletes will run 60km (ascending at least 2 200m) then MTB a grueling 130km route before paddling 60km to the finish line along a resurgent Orange River.
The next big thing on the Merrell Adventure Addicts calendar will be the brutal Expedition Africa, a true expedition-style non-stop adventure race incorporating everything from running, biking, paddling, swimming and kloofing to Coasteering. Teams of four will race for up to five days over a 500km route crisscrossing the southern Cape mountains along the Hermanus Whale Coast. This will be an extreme test of team dynamics, but the foursome is certainly upbeat.
According to Tatum Prins, one of the anchor members in the team, each of her fellow team members is bringing some unique aspect to the team this year. “We are ‘clicking’ like never before”, she says enthusiastically, “and I can see and feel the utter commitment, dedication and sheer motivation in each and every one of us”.
The Merrell Adventure Addicts will be led by captain and navigator Graham Bird, and for him it will all be about focusing the team at the right moment. Stalwart Hanno Smit, one of the original war horses, will be at his side, adding quiet determination and experience to the mix. Completing the foursome is Donovan Sims, an adventure racer at the top of his game and who is ready to lay down life and limb to help the team make it to the finish.
This level of commitment may be exactly what is required to make the Merrell Adventure Addicts end 2011 on a high note. Beyond the challenges of Expedition Africa, they still have to face the Freedom Challenge Extreme Triathlon (2600km of mountain biking, a 90km off-road Comrades Marathon, plus the 240km Berg River Canoe Marathon!) as well as various additional MTB and trail running races. To finish it all off in November, there’s the exhilarating Adventure Racing World Championships in Tasmania, Australia, to look forward to.
Their sponsorship deal with Merrell, an internationally acknowledged leader in the footwear and outdoor apparel industry, has enabled the team to focus their energy on racing rather than procuring sponsorship. “After nearly three decades in the adventure business, we truly believe our performance products are inspired by active people like the Adventure Addicts”, says Jaco Steenkamp, spokesperson for Merrell (South Africa). “We encourage everyone to get outside, from beginner to seasoned pro, and we’ll make sure we provide the shoes and apparel to keep you going further, faster, and comfortably”!
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