The AR World Championships - Costa Rica
We Are The Champions – Again
Rob Howard / 09.12.2013
Queen’s ‘We are the Champions’ anthem was playing on the finish line as Thule Adventure crossed the line in Sarapiqui to win the 2013 Adventure Race World Championships. It was corny but apt, as few teams have ever gone to such extremes of endurance to earn their champion's title.
It was probably the slowest finish in adventure racing history as the team of Jackie Boisset, Mimi Guillot, Stuart Lynch and Albert Roca dug deep to find their very last reserves of mental and physical strength to make the finish line. As they transferred from the canopy challenge to the raft for the final stage every movement was slow and painful, and they drifted slowly down the river rather than paddle it – they had no energy left. Or so they thought.
Yet, before finally crossing the finish line they did have to find that last little bit of energy as they were required to carry the raft 500m up the road to the football field where the finish line was set up. It was almost too much, on their first attempt they couldn’t lift it, nor could they carry more than a few metres and Mimi Guillot was in tears of frustration. With a last almighty effort they managed to lift it shoulder high and the 3 guys carried it with Mimi at the front with the raft on her head. She was almost buckling under the strain when at last the Race Director Pongo Baker turned up and said they could put it down with 200m to go.
From there it was a stroll to the finish, surrounded by cameramen as they had been since the raft came ashore. They stopped briefly to receive the congratulations of the Seagate team, who handed over their New Zealand flag to Stuart Lynch. It was a good a flag as any, as this is a Swedish team, with racers from France, Spain and New Zealand!
At last the path was clear down the wide funnel to the finish and the team walked across the line arm in arm to complete an epic win. Then of course, was just enough energy left to spray the champagne and enjoy the moment, and the smiles spread wide across their faces.
It was an historic win too, as they are the first team to win the AR World Title twice. There have been some individual double winners before, but never under the same team name. And for Jackie Boisset, Mimi Guillot and Stuart Lynch it was their second world title. (Lynch won with Orion Health in 2008 in Brazil – he must like racing in tropical conditions!)
As the winners enjoy their night and begin their recovery the race goes on, and will do for a few days yet. We have one finisher, how many more will make it across the line in this incredible Costa Rican AR World Championships?
SleepMonsters
