Expedition Africa

Interview with Sebastien Raichon, team Raidlight

Anne-Marie Dunhill / 05.05.2013

All eyes in the adventure racing world are firmly fixed on South Africa for the start of the Expedition Africa race tomorrow morning.  After France organized the World Championships at Raid in France last September, SleepMonsters wanted to talk with one of the three French teams present, prior to the race.

Sebastien Raichon, captain of team numer 13, Raidlight, very kindly agreed to be interviewed Thursday morning before flying out that same afternoon. His only caveat was that the interview take place in French so this interview has been translated into English by the author. His toddler chattered happily in the background while we discussed their upcoming race.

The Raidlight team is composed of Sebastien, Adrien Lhermet, Sonia Furtado and Thomas Gaudion. Thomas is a bit of a last minute replacement for Nicolas “Colo” Seguin who recently broke his collarbone in two places.

Sebastien’s respect for his teammates showed as he described each one.  He said that Sonia is a live wire, the battery for the team with the ability to go very quickly with strong physical capacities.  Adrien is their primary navigator and Sebastien considers him to be one of the best orienteers in France, adding that he brings serenity to the team. When asked to describe himself, Sebastien said that he was tireless with a mindset of steel, continually pulling the team upwards when the team faces difficulties.  (He is easy to spot with a mass of long blond wiry curls).

Adrien, Thomas and Sebastien all navigate. Apparently the old adage of too many cooks in the kitchen doesn’t apply to them as they are in harmony concerning each others orienteering decisions so this will not be a source of conflict during the race.

The team chose Expedition Africa from the list of races in the ARWS for several reasons. The dates correspond well with their holidays but more importantly he said that they are looking forward to heat, an exotic location and a challenging race. A pre-race photo widely publicized from a previous edition with adventure racers next to a towering giraffe wet their appetite. Sebastien added that Expedition Africa epitomizes why this amateur team races on the international circuit: the possibility to discover new countries and cultures and to push past their limits.

When asked about the teams’ objectives for the race, the captain gave a warm chuckle and said, “We’re not fixing ourselves any limits. We’re going there to discover a new country and its incredible landscapes, we want to finish the expedition and enjoy ourselves but we’re also fierce competitors at heart”. He went on to say that throughout the World Champs in Raid in France they had battled with team Silva from Sweden so they will be chasing the indomitable Swedes and top South African teams like Merrell Adventure Addicts.

Asked if he felt any pressure from being the highest ranked French team in the new ranking system within the ARWorld Series, Sebastien said that they were delighted, surprised and honored to be currently in 11^th place and hoped to gain a few places.

Team number 13 will definitely be one to watch throughout the epic adventure starting tomorrow morning at 06:30.