Southern Traverse
Seagate.com Come Smiling Through
Rob / 21.11.2002
The weather must have given them an uncomfortable night out on the river bank, but they were all smiles and the irrepressible Kathy Lynch even said, “It’s great to finish feeling so fresh!� As their large support crew (all 9 of them) hugged the team TV and press gathered round to hear the team’s stories Lynch was enthusiastic about the course. “Geoff’s races are always world class,� she said, “you need good skills and he goes out and finds all the best bits to send you to. It was a great course and lots of fun. The best was probably the mountain biking, the technical downhills were great and so was sunrise and sunset on the Richmond Range.�
For Nathan Faa’vae too that was a highlight. “There was a time when we were on the ridge and had a full moon one side and a blazing sunrise the other. Fantastic.� He wasn’t so keen on the riding though. “The biking was the hardest as it was so long. It’s just a matter of dealing with the discomfort.� Jeff Mitchell agreed. “The rides were hard, especially being on your backside for so long. I wasn’t keen to set off on the second ride only a short 4 hour paddle after the first 14 hour ride. I’ve got a sore backside too.�
In the end it was a ‘comfortable’ win for a team with all the experience and local knowledge, despite Kathy Lynch coming in as a late replacement. “I was worried,� she said, “as I was sort of retired, but I haven’t stopped riding and paddling altother! As long as we looked after ourselves and got an hours sleep each day we were OK, though there were one or two times Jeff carried my pack as I was blowing a bit.� Then she grinned broadly and added, “I’ll never do it again though!� She’s said that before.
Faa’vae too suggested the team had been comfortably within their limits, though of the four he looked the most tired at the finish. “The competition wasn’t as tough as last year when there was more international competition,� he said, “but the New Zealand teams are pushing us well. We were confident and comfortable out in front though.� Asked what made him different to others who wouldn’t even consider trying anything as arduous as Southern Traverse his answer was revealing. “If you train for it your body is quite capable of doing a race like this, we just get in condition for it. For some of the old time explorers like Shackleton this would be a walk in the park, though by modern standards it may seem hard. It’s just what we choose to do with a week of our lives.�
Looking around at the team on the finish line, they were all smiling and enthusiastic and their positive, ‘Kiwi-Can-Do’ attitude shone through. It’s why they are winners.
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