It has been quite a while since I have updated the MountainDesigns Wild Women Blog, so I thought it was about time to post a bit of an update on our Mountain Designs Wild Women Team as we prepare for #XPDAR Rivers of Gold and COVID-19 outbreaks loom!
September 2019
After finishing a very successful year of racing in 2019, I
had an opportunity to compete in #worldstoughestraceecochallengefiji however we
were all sworn to secrecy and not able to write or post anything until after
the series went to air on Amazon Prime. I did write a story on that amazing
adventure but just have not released it yet! For those of you watched the
series – I raced for Team Namako Fiji and we finished in 12 days alongside the
other Fijian Team Tabu Soro in 41st place. It was a once in a
lifetime opportunity and one I will cherish forever.
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| Kim with Team Namako in a small Fiji village - Ecochallenge 2019 |
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| Kim on the ropes - Ecochallenge 2019 |
October 2019
Cass Kimlin and Ali Wright teamed up for the Wild Women
Adventure race based at Habitat Noosa Boreen Point, while I took a step back
and put on my event director’s cap for the event. I was pretty shattered after
Eco challenge, so I certainly did not mind taking it easy for a while. Cass and
Ali as Mountain Designs Wild Women, took line honours and Tri Adventure managed
to create the first ever ‘zero waste to landfill event’ in Noosa thanks to the
support from Tourism Noosa and Plastic Free Noosa and all of the wild women who
participated.
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| Cass and Ali - Wild Women AR 2019 |
January/February 2020
Mountain Designs Wild Women Cass Kimlin and Ami Munson
travelled to NZ to have a crack at the famous NZ Coast to Coast Multisport
World Championships. Meanwhile I teamed up with my Tri Adventure partner Jan to
compete two-day version of the same event. Cass and Amie finished 10th
and 12th respectively in the elite category which is not bad when
you come from Hervey Bay and the closest white-water rapids are over 12hrs
drive away.
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| Kim and Jan - Coast to Coast Run |
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| Amie on the run course of 1 Day Coast to Coast |
March 2020 - COVID-19 hit and the world as we know it changed forever…..
Most of the big events were postponed 12 months including
Dragon Trail Tasmania, Geoquest and XPD….. things were going to be different
for a while! Most of us adventure racers coped pretty well with snap lockdowns,
as given that you were allowed to ‘exercise’ we enjoyed exploring even more
places in our own backyards as we were fit enough and able to travel from home
under our own steam within in a 50km radius!
Cass received some interesting news – she was pregnant and
due in September so COVID timing and postponed events was perfect.
Amie had been dealing with an injury and used the time off
racing to have some much-needed hip surgery.
August 2020
With some of the MD Wild Women Team out of action Kim and Ali joined the boys for a bit of fast and furious fun in some of the Queensland events which did go ahead. We were pretty excited to win both the Rogue Raid (Kim Beckinsale, Dave Schloss, Leo Theoharis, Oscar Booth) and Hells Bells (Kim Beckinsale, Ali Wright, Liam St Pierre, Dave Schloss) and were very thankful to Mountain Designs for their sponsorship.
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| Rogue Raid - Oscar, Leo, Sloshy, Kim |
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| Hells Bells - Kim Sloshy, Ali, Liam |
October 2020
Tri Adventure managed to get the green light to go ahead
with the 2020 Wild Women Adventure Race. We were extremely lucky as almost
everything big in Noosa had been cancelled …. even the Noosa Tri. The
highlights for Jan and I were the large number of women who came along to
support the event and that, once again, we hosted a ‘zero waste to landfill’
event despite the fact that we had to follow all of the new COVID guidelines.
November 2020
I raced in an event that was not really an event called ‘THE
BEAST’ a crazy solo event that started at midnight from Rainbow beach and
finished at Mooloolaba. Competitors used maps /GPS course only to run, paddle
and mountain bike almost 200km. Somehow, I managed to finish 3rd
overall and first female and beat a raging storm which caused many of the
participants to abandon the course due to damaging winds, hail and lightning
strikes.
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| Kim finishes the bike leg of The Beast....just a 20k paddle to go |
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| Finish of the Beast - Glen, Kim, Chris (Race Director), Sloshy |
January 2020
Unfortunately, our Kiwi Team mates (Debbie Chambers and Emma
Tait McCosh) who had signed up with Cass and I for XPD had to withdraw due to
the reality that COVID-19 was not going away. Alina McMaster who was part of our
XPD team in 2018 stepped in and then Eibhlin Fletcher from Victoria. Eibhlin,
like Alina and Cass, are all mums and this is why they are so tough!
March 2021
Part of the reason for my lack of race reports in 2020 through to now was because I took on a position as Acting Deputy Principal. Like anything I do I somehow can't help myself from giving 100% so while COVID was impacting on training and racing I put a little more into my work. I thought a bit less training and racing may help me get over a bit of plantarfacitis as well, but ala no real difference. I had some positive treatment outcomes from my podiatrist and physio but felt also that stress could be playing a part in the non healing process, So, at the end of the term I stood down from the DP position to return to the job that I love 'HPE Teaching'. This allows me to make more of a difference to the health and fitness of others - especially the kids I teach and enjoy my adventures more during the week and weekends.
The Dragon Trail 3-Day stage MTB event went ahead in
Tasmania without too many hiccups. Solo events such as these are great training
for adventure racing as you give yourself the opportunity to train a little
more specifically for a single discipline and can race a bit faster as there is
no map and compass. Amie and her son Nathan competed as did Jan and I with 3 of
the four of us gaining podium finishes. Amie made the most of the trip teaming
up with fellow wild women Gina Dunsdon and Ali Wright to hike the overland
track, which is also great training for expedition racing.
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| Kim, Jan and the Dragon |
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| Kim in the tunnel - Day 1 |
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| Jan and Amie - Day 2 |
April 2021
Instead of heading back to Qld after Tasmania, Jan and I
decided to have a crack at the Terra Nova short event as it is a part of the
new Oceania Series which is part of the ARWS.
Jan and I teamed up and finished 2nd outright in the short
course event. Following this I had a small foot procedure called a plantar
fascia release which after the recovery process and rehabilitation should
minimise the heel pain that has cause some discomfort for some months.
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| Kim with Jan on tow - Terra Nova |
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| Kim & Jan - Terra Nova Finish |
May 2021
Rogue Raid - Eibhlin flew from Victoria to race with Cass in the Rogue 24 at Mt Joyce. I was out of action and in rehab following the foot procedure so I volunteered instead. Ali teamed up with Leo, Oscar and Gary to race in a mixed team finishing 5ht overall. Cass and Eibhlin had a fantastic race and finished 1st Female Team. This was the first time that Cass and Eibhlin had met and also raced together so great preparation for XPD.
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| Ali and Leo prepare for the final paddle. |
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| Smiles at the finish - Cass and Eibhlin |
June 2021
We all missed out on Geoquest in 2020, so I was really
looking forward to meeting up with all of our AR buddies from all over
Australia once again. Unfortunately a COVID outbreak in Victoria prevented many
of those who lived in Victoria from attending. Last year was meant to be a
special year for Jan Leverton. She originally created the Cowgirls back in 2004
and I was in that team, this was our very first Geoquest! That year the
Cowgirls won the Geo -half outright…..yes as an all-female team and the
Cowgirls went on to win and complete a number of full Geoquests before
reverting back to the half course. I went on to race with premier mixed teams
winning Geoquest outright in 2007 and then racing with Team Mountain Designs
till 2016 before starting up Wild Women in 2017. So, for her final Geo Half Jan
enlisted Cass Kimlin, Gina Dunsdon and me. We did not quite win but were extremely
satisfied with 3rd outright behind two all-male teams. Ali Wright raced
the full course in a premier mixed team including an Avenger, a Thunderbolt, a
BMX Bandit and a Wild Woman winning outright – well done Ali!
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| The Cowgirls ..... featuring Mountain Designs Wild Women |
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| Cowgirls Finish Geo Half 2021 - 1st Female (3rd Overall) |
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| Wild Woman Ali with Dave, Hugh and Sloshy - Geoquest Winners 2021 |
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| Ali enjoys the champagne! |
Alina had to withdraw from our XPD team due to illness, she was devastated! So with less than 4 weeks to go the hunt was on to find someone to fill in for XPD. Now, this is not your usual race this is XPD – 5 plus days of racing day and night over a 500km rugged course navigating with map and compass so welcome to the team – Shelly Akestar from Victoria. I must say thanks so much to Bernadette and Elizabeth Dornom for not only putting us in touch with Eibhlin and Shelly but also for providing them with some training support and advice. We will look forward to racing alongside Liz at XPD with the Antelopes (defending champions).
As SEQ goes into a 3day lockdown because of a new COVID
outbreak, the chance of any of us racing at XPD in Cairns in less than 3 weeks
is at now risk. This is the new normal - coping with change and adapting rather
than getting worried or upset…. dealing with the highs and lows and working
with each other to get through it! I would like to think that being a part of
this team and being involved passionately in the sport of adventure racing
helps us to stay strong in times like these!
Finally, it has been a tough time for all businesses to stay
afloat in these testing times, so thanks to Mountain Designs, Ay Up Lighting
Systems and Tri Adventure for your continued support of the team and Venture
Cycles for helping to keep our MTB wheels rolling super-fast
#treksupercalliber
