Off To The Races
It’s off to the Whitewater World Championships that I go. They will be held in Argentina over the next 10 days, and teams from 32 countries are now making their way there.
Rafting as a competitive sport is not well known in the United States as the primary sponsors at its inception were alcohol and tobacco companies. But it’s quite well known outside of the US.
In 1986 my teammate Julie Munger and I started the All Women’s Exploratory Team, and we descended rivers that had never been rafted before. Soon after we were invited to our first raft race in Switzerland which was sponsored by a whiskey company. Some years later Camel cigarettes got involved and we raced in Costa Rica, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Chile under their banner. Images of Joe Camel were everywhere, and there were even packs of camels on the tables at meal time like party favors!
Interesting fact: Many fringe sports get their start with alcohol and tobacco companies as sponsors. 17 years ago I checked out from the scene and started raising a family and finding “grown-up” work, so I don’t know where they get their money now. But when I come back in a few weeks I should have something to report.
Hopefully I have a cup to show off as well. But there are a lot of variables, including our ages, so I make no promises. But we will do our best, work as a team, and keep our spirits up. We will also CONSTANTLY mobilize all the tight spots, so we can get up and paddle for six days in a row. And not just paddle, but paddle HARD!
I will post updates and videos on my personal facebook page, so please track our progress. Thanks to all of you who sent me off with best wishes for a good event. I’m lucky to be a part of our wonderful CrossFit community.
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