Life After Fulda...

...its been almost 2 months since we came back from the Yukon. We've settled back into "regular" life and are still basking in the memories of the Fulda experience.

Coming back as champions hasn't changed our outlook on life, but has changed our appreciation of the winter months!!!! We have realized there is so much more you can do in the cold once you "suck it up!"

Chantal has (predictably) continued skiing, running and training....I, on the other hand have gone back to being retired and am enjoying the finer things in life...

We've been able to tell so many people about the experience that we had, and the stories don't get old. We were really surprised at the amount of followers and support that we have received. There is a tremendous amount of anticipation for the upcoming documentary that follows us as we competed in the Fulda Challenge, which will air on the following dates;

Tuesday April 17th, 7:00pm ET / 5:00pm MT on TSN2

Saturday April 27th, 10:00pm ET / 8:00pm MT on TSN2

Tuesday May 1st,  1:30pm ET / 11:30 MT on TSN

The only unfortunate thing about the whole event is the amount of flak that I am getting from Chantal's family, my friends, her friends etc...who knew that she was going to kick my arse at so many things!


Just as things were dying down, we got a call from the Kia guys to come to a photo shoot with our car from the event.  We showed up at the dealership and met Robert Staffieri, Director of Marketing, and Josh Marion, Advertising Specialist, to be reunited with our awesome KIA Sportage from the Fulda. While we thought it would just be a couple of pictures, they had other things in mind...They gave us the car!!!!!!!!! Fully outfitted with all the bells and whistles (including the great Fulda tires).

We were so shocked and surprised at the graciousness from the company.  Not only did they give us the opportunity to compete, they went above and beyond with this amazing gift.

KIA, you have 2 new fans :)

Ironically enough, we are writing this from the patio of our hotel in Hawaii...so I think our winter adventure racing careers might have come to an end.  The 86 degree temperature change has us reconsidering everything :)

Thanks everyone!!!
Chantal and Ryan 

Day # 6 - Last Chance for Gold

Starting today we were in 2^nd place for the team event, sitting one point behind Alex and Berit, the very strong German team.  We had one event left and realized that if we can both win our divisions (or both beat the Germans) then we have a good chance at winning the Fulda Challenge.

Chantal has already locked up the women’s title.

The 2012 Fulda Challenge Women's Champion

I’m fighting with Martin the Austrian for 3^rd in the men’s.  

Canada vs. Austria 

Angelo Brack and Alex Lang are in a battle for first place, which will make this last day very exciting. 

In the morning we woke up and got prepared for the 5 hour drive back to Whitehorse, where we would do the canyon crossing at Miles Canyon.  We didn’t have much information about the width of the crossing, so there was a lot of nervous guessing in the car drive down.

Our good friends the Swiss (Angelo and Jelena) managed to break their car in Whitehorse a couple of days ago, so they were our companions on the way down.  

Angelo & Jelena - Team Switzerland

Defrosting a car the Yukon Way 

We had some good natured banter, which has become the norm since we met everyone.  If nothing else comes of this competition we are at the very least going to make some very good friends.  Everyone is hyper competitive, but at the same time we are all in this crazy adventure together.  Really cool experience.

We stopped a couple of times on the way down for fuel and food, and each time asked the locals how far across the canyon is.  We had a variety of answers from 60 to about 100 metres across.  We didn’t think that was possible, but upon arrival it was confirmed that the canyon was a good 65-70 metres!!

Miles Canyon

The bridge we would not be using to cross Miles Canyon

Media getting ready for the canyon crossing

The rope was strung from one side to the other and predictably had a slight ‘bow’ in it.  The last 10 metres would be the toughest, as they would be up an incline. 

Event briefing

Arrival of Team Canada (Ryan #13, Chantal #14)

After my laughable performances in the endurance events, I was hoping this event would work out more in my favour.  

Ryan being strapped into his harness

Angelo went first for the men and I was second.  It was nice to see the technique once before going, and I was able to make it across in a pretty speedy time.  I was almost twice as quick as the next fastest man, finishing first with a minute and half, so I had secured ½ of our goal of winning both sides.

Ryan for the win

Our strategy for Chantal was to just get across.  

Talking strategy with Chantal

We figured that if she made it across without falling (which would have resulted in 0 points awarded), we would have a good chance at winning the team event.  Chantal was 2^nd for the women and made a valiant effort to get across in just under 4 minutes.  

Chantal crossing the canyon

Ryan cheering Chantal on as she crosses the Canyon

We now had to wait for the German team to go last in a very climatic finish.  Berit Diel went last and was urged on by her teammate Alex. 

Team Germany trying to overtake 1st place

She was very close to beating the time of Chantal, but had to settle for second with a time of just over 4 minutes…which means that Chantal won the ladies. With our scores combined it was evident that TEAM CANADA HAD WON THE FULDA CHALLENGE!!!!

Chantal being interviewed after winning the Women's division

The points were not tallied at the canyon, as everyone was keen on getting over to the hotel, cleaning up (hot showers!!!) and getting ready for the festivities.  We had to wait for the official verdict at the banquet being held tonight.

Team Canada after conquering Miles Canyon

The rest of the night went by in much of a blur (for a couple of reasons…), but they eventually handed out the awards;

2012 Fulda Challenge Champions - Team Canada

1st Place Women's Division - Chantal Mackenzie (Team Canada)

1st Place Men's Division - Angelo Brack (Team Switzerland)

3rd Place Men's Division - Ryan Smith (Team Canada)

We accepted the gold nuggets they award to the winners, which are pretty cool little (and I mean little) trophies.

The rest of the night was spent enjoying everyone’s company and celebrating with a couple of well-deserved drinks.  We proved to the Europeans that Canadians can’t dance, can’t sing, but we sure can party!!!  The game “Buffalo” has been introduced to Austrian culture and the Shotgun technique was widely discussed…

Buffalo in full effect

Showing the wold how Canadians dance

It will be a little sad leaving tomorrow morning as this has been an adventure of a life time.  We’ll have a ton of stories which we haven’t relayed through this blog, but which will stick with us forever.

Big thanks to all of the people at Kia Canada, Fulda, Rugby Canada and the Territory of the Yukon for making this all possible.  We are looking forward to watching the tv production that Bradford Productions does for release in late March early April.  Everyone can laugh along with us as we relive the best (and worst!) moments of the trip.

Ryan and Chantal

Day # 5 - Team Mackenzie Kicks Butt!!! (Oh and Ryan is here too…)

We started the day off by driving all the 2012 Kia Sportage’s and Sorento’s out to the middle of the river which fronts the historic town of Dawson.  Fulda had set up an off-road driving course with gates which held golf balls on top of each pole.  The idea was that if you knocked a golf ball off of the pole, you lost 10 points.   The driver with the cleanest gates would be the winner.

The Sun isn't even awake yet...

Athlete's Kia Sportages all lined up

Course set up

Awaiting our turn thankfully in a warm car

Each team went together as one partner acted as the co-pilot as the other drove.  Chantal (despite what I predicted in my head) was a great driver… J  She passed the course 100% clean.  When I went, I’m pretty sure Chantal opened the window and pushed one of the golf balls off so she could say she beat me. Regardless I lost 10 points and finished in a tie for 2^nd in the men and Chantal was 1^st for the ladies.  One win for her today…The Kia Sportages took a solid beating but held out extremely well and aside from a few scratches and dents they kept us moving to the next event.

Ready, Set, Go!

The road to the next challenge 

Event # 2 on the day was the snowshoe race.  We had a debriefing prior to driving out to the course, where we asked the mountain men if we should expect difficult terrain.  He said, in broken English, that it was ‘pretty flat’…I think he meant to say that it was up the side of a dang mountain and then back down.  About 6 Km’s all told (uphill, in the snow, both ways, as my father used to say)..

View from the 'Top of the World' look out

This was to be the last endurance event, so I would be happy when it was over.  The start was uphill, so I marched (vs. running) and it felt like I was the Terminator chasing someone while walking.  I had a good chuckle at this.  I didn’t have a chuckle at the top of the mountain, when we had to leave the trail and enter the trees.  I was right behind 3^rd place and looking forward to the run down, but like a bull in a china shop, I tripped, stumbled and crashed my way through the forest while letting 3^rd and 4^th place slip away nicely.

Lucky for old Ryan, the real rock star in this team was kicking butt behind me.  As I was hyperventilating over the finish line and looking back at the person I thought was a guy behind me, it turned out it was Chantal, she had won another event in the ladies division!!! That was 2 wins on the day and this one was 

worth double points. 

With only 2 events to go we were very close in the team standings. Chantal led the women’s division and I was in 3^rd place in the men’s.  Germany # 3 and the Swiss are ahead of us, so we need to win both the lumberjack challenge and the canyon cross to have a chance.

The last event of the day was the log sawing challenge and was held in front of the historic Diamond Tooth Gerties Casino in Dawson.  

The challenge was to see which team could saw a piece that fastest while being closest to 1.5kg. Chantal and I went for it all and despite the sawhorse jumping around due to lack of weight, we took this challenge down.  Our time was fastest and our piece (which we are keeping) was .18 grams off of the mark. 

So Chantal was perfect today with 3 victories and I was 2^nd, 5^th and 1^st.  Thank goodness we have her!

Last event tomorrow should prove the decider in the team event.  Barring anything crazy, Chantal should win the women’s division and I’ll be in a fight for 3^rd place with Martin the Austrian fellow.

At night we had the opportunity to take a different kind of challenge, a Dawson City tradition, called the ‘Sourtoe Cocktail.’ This is when a preserved human toe is placed into a glass of Yukon Jack Whisky and the brave soul who chooses to take the challenge, in this case both Chantal and I, shoot it back with the toe still inside. The only catch is the toe has to touch your lips… for this challenge we came in 1^st… but is there really any winner when drinking a cup of Yukon Jack with a toe in it?

We have to drive back to Whitehorse tomorrow morning and cross the canyon as soon as we arrive.  I’m told it’s pretty far, so hopefully we can make this happen.

Thanks for all the support on Facebook so far everyone and we can’t wait to update again later.

Ryan and Chantal