Eco-Challenge
The 2 Steves: Never Stop Racing!
Nice Rich Steve / 21.10.2002
Brilliant!! Team The North Face Kona wrapped up the Eco and although Keith, Pete, Anna and Norm may be a little disappointed at not getting into the top ten they have done us all proud by not giving up.
I can just picture Keith, bedraggled and with the haunting, tired eyes of 10 days on little sleep, urging the team on across the final stretch of ocean, knowing the minutes were ticking on a ranked, full-course finish. After being so close to the edge for so much of the race and after their superb recovery from 39th spot, getting to the finish will feel as sweet for them as it did for the winners, Seagate.com NZ.
Through their exhaustion, and despite being surrounded by the Eco welcome home party and international media at the line, the four will have felt as close and alone as a team as at any stage in the race as the bond of battling through adversity was sealed.
I’m sure they will have some amazing and no doubt harrowing tales of life on the course and we should hear from them real soon to find out more. But for now, it’s a big congratulations to them and all the other British and Irish teams that competed this year. The final results may have been a mixed bag but each team faced up to the toughest Eco ever and raced hard.
Now, Team TNF Kona will be sleeping off the race in a state of blissful exhaustion before charging the adrenaline reserves for a monster Fijian party. I just hope for the sake of whoever is sharing the room with Keith that there is no repeat of our post-Eco Borneo simultaneous nightmare which saw both of us ‘back-paddling’ furiously on our beds as we almost ‘crashed’ into another boat!! Who says adventure racing screws with your mind?
As for you Mr Nasty Boy Duffy, I think you may owe me some money!
SleepMonsters
