Anaconda Trans Tasman Challenge
Anaconda WA – Tranz Tasman Challenge
Richard Ussher / 11.11.2011
Joining me for the battle against the Aussies were Trevor Voyce and Fleur Lattimore, meaning not only did we have a NZ team, it was also an all Nelson team.
Trev arrived the day before us and along with his mate Matty – who would prove invaluable over the weekend, headed down to Augusta to organize the digs and get things sorted prior to Fleur and my eventual late night arrival. They did manage to find out mistakenly that everyone in Augusta obviously leaves their keys hidden in the same places as they accidentally ended up in the wrong house. They were only alerted to their mistake by the copious quantities of liquor in the cupboards and thought it may just be too good to be true – they were right!
After a bit of scouting the course out, numerous dolphin sightings (they are so abundant there it is unusual to go to the beach and not see any) and plenty of interviews we also had to partake in a sprint up the Iconic lighthouse at Leewun Point. The race was a relay – one person at a time up to the top and back down via the stairs. The Aussies took it very seriously, perhaps realizing there only chance for a win lay here and promptly took a narrow win. The main event though was still to come.
Race day dawned fine, which had been somewhat in doubt and we all piled on buses out to the now infamous lighthouse and the start line. The race had 1700 people participating as both individuals and teams so there was a real buzz at the start line.
The start was crazy as everyone sprinted down the large rock slabs towards the first marker; there was definitely some Kodak courage on display as people hurtled through the rocks at an insane place.
After a minute I think I was 30 seconds down and began to make my way through the field. Out front Braden Currie was stretching away from everyone with Sean O’Neil in hot pursuit. Soon I’d made it into 3rd but was only just holding the two guys in front and they soon started to pull away. After all the racing in the past few months it’s fair to say I wondered whether this was just not going to be my day, after all there is only so much you can do but as the run went on I slowly got into a better rhythm and by the transition to the Swim I was feeling much better.
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