I Ran the World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji

If you told me nearly 20 years ago that I would be participating in one of the most epic adventure races in the world that in large part ignited my interest in the sport, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. These full circle moments that remind you of where you began and help to affirm that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be are so rare and incredibly valuable. 

I remember sitting in my dorm room one evening watching the Discovery Channel at university in Australia back in 2001 when Eco Challenge - the World’s Toughest Race came on the TV,  and I was immediately captivated. I knew right then and there that I would move home to the Coast Mountains of BC to pursue a new dream of becoming one of the top women in the sport of adventure racing.

As I got into racing later that year, the creation of Eco Challenge would wrap up and those races would be no more as producer Mark Burnett moved on to create other experiences such as Survivor, the Bachelor, and the Apprentice. At the same time, I embarked on my own journey going full throttle into the adventure racing realm, making it my life as I raced at other amazing events around the globe. Over the years, I learned so much about the world of racing while learning more about myself; I explored my limits and continued to expand them as I pushed myself beyond my perceived limitations over and over again, building up my strength and endurance and developing an inner fortitude that would always serve me well. All of my unique experiences with racing and the time and grit invested in developing myself as an athlete were unknowingly helping to prepare me for one of the biggest race adventures of my life. 

After a 17-year hiatus from the show, Mark Burnett decided to bring back Eco Challenge, choosing Fiji as the host location. I was thrilled to hear this news and beyond excited to learn that I’d been selected to participate in the show! And so, this past September I journeyed to Fiji with Team Bones Adventure to participate in the World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji with 65 other teams from around the world. How did it go for us?  You can watch a teaser or the full trailer here, read our RACE REPORT, and catch the 10-episode series that just launched on Amazon Prime - I hope you enjoy!