A true adventure

The annual Eastport Peninsula Wilderness Adventure Race continues to grow, and attract schools in rural areas that rarely, if ever, get to compete in sports.

Cotrell's Cove Academy is one of those schools.

Located about 50 kilometres outside of Botwood on Route 352, Cotrell's Cove Academy has six high school students and seven junior high students. Despite the lack of numbers, the team captured first place in the second annual adventure race, held Feb. 23 at Terra Nova National Park, with time of 1:56.

Coach Robert Hemeon thanked the organizers for putting the adventure race together, but more importantly, thanked them for giving his students an opportunity to compete in sports - something they rarely get an opportunity to do.

Andy Poole, a teacher at Holy Cross School in Eastport, and one of the organizers, said the adventure race attracts small, rural schools, which is what makes it so appealing.

"It's an alternative activity that's held outdoors that was never really offered to students before," he said, moments before driving back to Eastport. "Every team that participated this year told me they're coming back, and the schools that were forced to drop out said they would have made it if they could have. It seems to be catching on."

Clarenville High School finished second behind Cotrell's Cove Academy in a time of 1:56, while Glovertown Academy 2 finished third in 2:12. Rounding out the rest of the standings are Gander Collegiate, 2:24; Holy Cross School No. 1, 2:26; Glovertown Academy No. 1, 2:32; Holy Cross School No. 2, 2:39; Heritage Collegiate of Lethbridge, 2:42; Smallwood Academy No. 2 of Gambo, 2:56; and Smallwood Academy No. 1, 3:04.

Holy Cross School No. 2 was the first team to hit the trail on their snowshoes, and Clarenville High School followed them three minutes later. That trend continued until all teams were on the trail, which was just over seven kilometres in length. Teams had to snowshoe to a transition area where they had to start a fire, boil a kettle, remove their snowshoes, and ski to an area where they learned how to make a splint for an injured leg. One of the athletes acted as the injured party, had their leg in a splint, and was towed by their teammates to the finish line on a sled.

Natasha Moss, from Holy Cross No. 2, was one of the first students to reach the transition area. Along with two male teammates, they removed their snowshoes and relaxed on a fallen tree when someone said, "Should we start the fire?" That's when Moss sprang into action. She gathered the splits and bark, started the fire, and hung the kettle on a branch that stretched over the top of the fire.

"My dad taught me how to do that," said Moss, who has a keen understanding of outdoor living. "My friends and me always go out to have a boil up. It's fun."

Many of the students dressed in typical winter apparel for the race, but when they finally made it to the transition area, many were in t-shirts, sweat streaming down their faces. The first half of the race consisted of steep hills, which had the athletes, as well as a few coaches, huffing and puffing at the transition area.

"The first half of the race was pretty crazy...intense," said Moss. "A lot of the hills were pretty tiring."

Last year's inaugural race consisted of five teams, and this year it expanded to 10. Poole is hoping next year's race will be even bigger.

"It's something our school started with the park...we wanted to co-host an event that benefited both parties," said Poole.

Although it isn't an official School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador sport, SSNL did sponsor the event this year, and Poole said he wants to speak with the SSNL board to see if the Eastport Peninsula Wilderness Adventure Race can become an official sport.

"They're aware of the sport, and they're very interested in it, too," said Poole.

Upon hearing that, Moss said she hopes SSNL does make the event an official sport. She said not all students play typical school sports like basketball, volleyball and hockey, and that adventure racing may appeal to that particular population of students.

"It's outdoors, and it's something different than basketball and volleyball, so I think SSNL should make this an official sport," she said. "People who like being outdoors, and who don't play gym sports, would definitely enjoy this."