XTRI the Journey

CANADA
Queen of Scots
The Canadian people’s reputation for friendliness has been
established for a reason. But they also love a challenge. Descended
from settlers who thrived despite a fiercely harsh environment,
tenacity is a natural instinct.
In the early days they relied heavily on each other for survival,
and had to give a warm welcome to every person who ventured to
settle with them. As a Scot, I was amazed to learn that the first real
settlers to race town Lac-Mégantic were Scottish islanders, perhaps
the most hardy of all.
Text: Caroline Livesey
So it is barely surprising that the
team from Canadaman have
coupled these two things to create
a race which is so tough it is
barely believable, but deliver it against a
backdrop of friendly encouragement and
a shared belief that everyone can finish.
They have taken the word “extreme” and
applied it to every detail of the course. It is
raw, beautiful, relentless and as physically
challenging as anything I have ever done.
Had I known exactly what I was getting into
I would have felt more trepidation on the
start line.
As it was I felt nothing but excitement.
As a professional long-distance triathlete, I
knew the day would be long and hard, but
I was there for that reason. My reason to
race, the “why” that kept me going through
the pain and fatigue, was to find new limits
on this testing course. To dig into my
12
mental and physical reserves and find those
depths of endurance. Because experiences
like this are punctuation marks in our life.
They change a small part of us and etch
memories in our minds forever.
My excitement was also compounded
by the team around me. Xtri offers
an incredible opportunity that other
commercial long course racing does not,
the chance to race with a team. Triathlon
is such an individual sport that at times
it can feel selfish and lonely. But take an
epic challenge like Canadaman, and make
it impossible to complete without relying
wholly on your support crew, and you
create a shared experience that is rewarding
for everyone involved. I met my crew just
two days before the race, but we bonded
instantly. They oozed enthusiasm and
positivity, building my already sky-high
excitement to extreme levels.
Photo: Steve Ashworth