| Your Adventures |
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Drambuie Pursuit 2008
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| Photos courtesy Drambuie |
The Spirit Lives On
In April 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie's 10-month campaign across the rugged Scottish countryside to claim the British throne came to a disastrous
end when he was spirited away to the Isle of Skye and on to France. But legend tells us that before he left, Charlie bequeathed to his protectors
a recipe for spiced honey and aged Scotch — known today as Drambuie.
In a tribute to the liqueur's noble origins, Team Canadian Geographic will join an international cast of four-person teams on an
eight-stage adventure race known as The Drambuie Pursuit. Beginning April 26, Team Canadian Geographic will be there, carrying the magazine's
colours as members ride mountain bikes, shoot rapids and sprint along rugged Highland trails.
With tips from a personal trainer, our weekend warriors have combined endurance and cardiovascular training with race-specific skills —
archery and rock-climbing, for example — to transform their office-honed physiques into lean, mean adventure-race machines.
Meet Team Canadian Geographic:
GILLES GAGNIER, 38,
Team Captain
Director of New Media,
Canadian Geographic |
"I am excited to compete in my first adventure race ... Our plan is to work hard and play harder." |
A member of Canadian Geographic's new media department for eight years, Gilles is a seasoned duathlete who has competed in several
races but specializes in long-course events.
His personal best in a recent half-iron distance duathlon — 2km swim + 90km bike + 21km run —
was 4:54:00. During peak season Gilles combines running and cycling for a total of 210km per week. For the Drambuie Pursuit, Gilles joins his teammates in two
boot-camp-style workouts per week — a 35-minute high-octane noon-hour session that combines strength, core and stability training with cardiovascular
endurance. "I am excited to compete in my first adventure race," he says. "You learn that each race is unique, and it's going to be a blast to travel
to Scotland to compete. Our plan is to work hard and play harder."
ELIZABETH SHILTS, 39
Senior Editor,
Canadian Geographic,
12 years |
"There is nothing like
setting your mind to a physical goal, training as hard as you can and finally achieving it." |
From the moment she caught her first softball at age five, Elizabeth has been a sports machine, participating in a wide range of individual
and team efforts including tennis and squash, basketball and, of course, baseball. A 20-year star volleyball player with a killer spike,
Elizabeth eventually caught the "running bug" and has hit the asphalt in a series of 5km, 10km and eventually half marathons over the past
decade. Elizabeth's training now includes 30km of running combined with three weight-training stints each week. Team Canadian
Geographic boot camp is her current favourite, and all reports indicate she moves like Spiderman up and down the walls of the local
climbing gym. "There is nothing like setting your mind to a physical goal, training as hard as you can and finally achieving it,"
she says. "The Drambuie Pursuit is a fantastic mix of traditional stages — running, cycling and climbing — along with wacky elements
like ZapCat and buggy races. This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure."
TANYA MANORYK, 28
Manager, Education Programs,
The Royal Canadian Geographical
Society
(RCGS) |
"This experience has opened my mind to the world of adventure racing and its diversity of sports." |
The passion and enthusiasm that Tanya has showed during her four years at the RCGS are mirrored in her athletic accomplishments: she is
a national-level competitive swimmer who finished in the top 15 of the 50m and 100m backstroke at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Swimming Championship. A two-time women's swim team MVP at the University of Ottawa, Tanya has taken to road racing like a duck to water.
In May, she will compete in her first half marathon. Currently, Tanya trains five days a week, combining running, biking, swimming and
weight training, in addition to the Team Canadian
Geographic workouts. "For the past few years, I've wanted to break out of swimming and to try new athletic adventures," she says.
"This experience has opened my mind to the world of adventure racing and its diversity of sports. I'm looking forward to competing in
Scotland's breathtaking landscape."
DAVID TRATTLES, 40
Photographer,
Canadian
Geographic contributor,
12 years |
"It's my first team racing event and we’ll be in the Highlands — and it’s Scotland besides." |
A long-time Canadian Geographic contributor, David is a lifelong athlete who spent seven years on the Canadian
and French tennis circuit where he "failed magnificently." Since then, he has continued to make a mark in
the world of sports as a marathon runner — the guy outfitted with heavy camera gear — and he recently
participated in the New York City and the Calcutta marathons. David’s true passion, however, is cycling.
He has toured more than 60 countries on two wheels and spent the winter pedaling from Calcutta to Chennai,
India. For the Drambuie Pursuit, Trenton-based David keeps his competitive edge by diligently studying training
updates from team members, biking and running. "Aye, I've got plenty of thoughts about Scotland," he says.
"It's my first team racing event and we’ll be in the Highlands — and it’s Scotland besides."
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