Our adventure racing team, combining forces with Epsom Girls, faced the ultimate test of endurance and teamwork at the National Get2Go Adventure Challenge Finals

Last week, our adventure racing team, combining forces with Epsom Girls, faced the ultimate test of endurance and teamwork at the National Get2Go Adventure Challenge Finals, held at the challenging Hillary Outdoors Tongariro site.

The week-long mixed teams event is a grueling combination of multi-sport racing, rogaine orienteering, competitive group problem-solving, hill cycling, and hill running. The Rosmini team—comprised of Hamish Baker, Isaac Butler, Liam Buckingham, and Carter Oosterdjik—tackled a packed schedule designed to push them both physically and mentally.

The competition began with two days of intense, rapid-fire action: five one-hour challenges daily across the varied disciplines. This was followed by a day-long multi-sport race that saw the team kayak, run/hike, and mountain bike approximately 40 kilometers.

The stakes were raised further with a six-hour rogaine course on the mountain, requiring teams to find as many markers as possible before camping overnight. The final day included an "amazing race" style challenge, which added a final 9km run into the mix.

The team's primary goal was to finish the week together and give their maximum effort on every challenge. They were executing their plan perfectly, and after two-and-a-half days of racing, they were on track for a potential 8th place finish. However, towards the end of the multi-sport race a team member suffered a badly sprained ankle, meaning the team had to compete for the rest of the week with one member down.

Despite the setback, the team showed immense grit and resolve, ultimately finishing 10th out of 12 teams.