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November 30, 2012 The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 29
Local racer ranked second in the world
By Kristian Rasmussen
Pioneer Staff
While many of us may enjoy a leisurely jog around
the block to stay in shape, one Invermere man catches
his stride by descending into a filthy maze of blood, fire
and barbed wire.
Shane McKay is currently ranked second in the world
in Spartan racing — a series of back breaking running races
across obstacle courses that span the globe.
“When you are standing at the starting line, you
know you are going to suffer,” he said. “It is talked about
that if you can walk the next day you haven’t done enough
during the race.”
Shane, 52, was born and raised in the Columbia Valley
and is owner of TXN Installations metal fabrication in
Invermere. The Spartan athlete has competed in 15 races
this year, ranging from five kilometre sprints that usually
hold over 15 obstacles, all the way up to the Spartan Beast,
which begins with over 25 obstacles on courses starting at
20 kilometres. Shane's top finishes include his recent backto-back
third place results in Marseille, Illinois, on October
27th and 28th.
The athlete is leaving for Malibu, California, to compete
in a five kilometre sprint race on December 1st, and
will immediately travel to Glen Rose, Texas, where he will
take on a Beast race on December 8th.
The Glen Rose Beast lumbers through 22 kilometres of
single track running paths and a host of military and geography-inspired
obstacles, which will likely include Shane's
nemesis, the Tyrolean Traverse.
The Traverse is a 150-foot (46 metres) length of rope
suspended above a body of water. Participants are allowed
to use the rope any way they wish, but they are given just
three attempts to get across, after which they are disqualified.
The last time Shane's hands gripped the rope of the
traverse, during the Spartan World Championships in Vermont,
he wasn't sure if he would make it.
The race required the athlete to complete three grueling
obstacles leading up to the traverse. Beginning with
an Atlas block carry, Shane had to carry a 75 pound block
By Pioneer Staff
After a series of resident-led drinkable water
initiatives dating back to 2005 came up dry in Dry
Gulch, Spur Valley is next in line to receive some local
and provincial government assistance in establishing
an upgrade to its water system.
After the Regional District of East Kootenay
approved spending $100,000 in community works
funds for the Spur Valley improvement district at
the board’s November 5th meeting, an information
package is being compiled to inform area homeowners
of the pros and cons involved in the change.
40 feet, put it down, pick
up another block and carry
it back. Next, a Chariots of
Fire obstacle required the
Invermere man to drag a
wooden skid full of rocks
around a marked course.
Finally, Shane's aching forearms
had to complete the
sandbag carry, which involved
carrying a 40 pound
sandbag up a portion of a
ski hill and back down. After
fighting his way through
three brutal challenges,
Shane found himself on the
precipice of the traverse.
“I got about three quarters
of the way out on the
traverse and realized that I
was hanging on with my elbows.
I realized that if I fell
off I was not going to do it in three tries. I just had to stay
with it, and it was the hardest thing I had ever done.”
After reaching the end of his rope, literally and figuratively,
Shane dropped into the water at the end of the
obstacle and was required to complete the challenge by
swimming another 75 feet to shore. His extreme fatigue
and exertion attracted the attention of a waiting lifeguard
in a nearby boat.
“I looked up out of the water and the guy in the boat
looked at me. From the look on my face the guy said, 'You
can't touch the boat and I can't help you. You are going to
be OK. I am here for you. I am a great swimmer and good
lifeguard. If you get into trouble I am right here, but you
have to make it to the shore by yourself!'”
Shane swam to shore, where he collapsed on the ground
from the exertion.
“I laid there for about 2-3 minutes and then got up to
the finish the race and the back of my legs started to cramp
up. I was pretty upset and I had tears in my eyes. I was like,
Spur Valley, located about 20 minutes north of
Radium Hot Springs, currently draws its drinking
water from a surface source, Luxor Creek. The proposed
upgrade would change the source to well water, and the
system would be operated by the regional district. A
test well drilled over the summer has shown promising
results thus far, said Spur Valley improvement district
secretary treasurer Sharon Osterling.
“We’ve been actively pursuing this for a number
of years; we see a lot of advantages to having this,”
she said. “We have relatively few B.C. residents in
the improvement district, and only B.C. residents are
allowed to stand as trustees.”
WANDERING WARRIOR — Invermere’s Shane McKay practices his grip on the chin up
bar at his home gym, Endeavour Fitness, who have helped him train for the15 races that
he has competed in this year across North America. Photo by Kristian Rasmussen
‘I am not going to finish this race and I thought I was
going to do so well’.”
The majority of Spartan racers found their hopes of
finishing the Vermont race dashed upon the shore of the
Tyrolean Traverse. Only 39 per cent of competitors completed
the race. Although many aspiring Spartans don’t finish
an event, a defiant attitude and unwillingness of giving
the body the option to quit until reaching absolute failure is
common, Shane said.
“Everybody has pride and wants to finish the race.
I rarely have seen anybody who can still walk say, ‘I
have had enough.’”
Spartan racers pay the cost of competition in sweat,
tears and exertion, but the payoffs are always worth it,
the racer added.
“I think the biggest rewards are the friendships that I
have gained through Spartan racing and the different people
that I have met. There seem to be a lot of people that are
at a point in their life where they are looking for a change.”
Spur Valley contemplates water system upgrades
That makes for low turnover among the board,
which must oversee the water system that services 85
lots, 75 of which are currently developed.
Homeowners can expect to receive an information
package in early January, said Mrs. Osterling.
In 2005, the Ministry of Community, Sport
and Cultural Development approved nearly $1.8
million in funding for a $2,697,000 community
water system in Dry Gulch. In November 2011, the
regional district asked that money be re-allocated in
two parts: $500,000 towards the Spur Valley Water
System Upgrade Project, and $1,298,000 towards
the Wilmer Water System Upgrade Project.