Tough Chick...
We are inside of 10 days until the Worlds Toughest Race airs on Amazon Prime August 14, 10 episodes, all of them dropping at once.
A lot of exciting things are coming down the pipeline both on my end and on the race end that will give you a deeper inside look into the show and the people who raced. Amazon is hosting a global watch party at 12 Pacific August 14th when the show airs. And also, we have two instagram lives coming up with Bear Grylls. I will also be hosting several live online watch parties the week the show airs where I can answer questions live as you watch along.
AND…. I have been working on something REALLY special about the show that you are going to love! I can’t say exactly what it is yet, but it’s taken some mountain moving to make it happen, let’s just say lots of TOUGHNESS! If you want to stay in the know, both with all the watch parties, and with what’s coming down the pipeline, please snag a spot on my email list and I will be sure to keep you updated.
The past few weeks Amazon has been publishing lots of teaser content and I’ve been reliving the race with each and every video they post. So many emotions and feelings are coming up for me as I get to see for the first time what we did out there from a perspective other than first person.
Because the race is navigated completely by map and compass, we were not allowed any electronic devices whatsoever in the race. That means no photos. So all of us racers are seeing ourselves for the first time on the screen. It triggers so many emotions.
First they came out with the “teaser trailer” and I couldn’t believe I was in it. Wow, there I am, looking busted and broken saying things like “this is so hard” and "my whole life is this race, and I might not have what it takes to get through this.” I stand by both statements!
Teaser Trailer
I thought that would be all we would get until the show aired but then NO! When Annie and I were backpacking the Yosemite High Route, we got a message from Troy on the Garmin Inreach saying a new trailer was out that I was in it. And then he sent a lot of emojis and exclamation points.
On day 6 of our Yosemite High Route trip we summited Donohue Peak and there was cell coverage on top of the peak. I watched the official trailer with Annie and it made my mind just swim with WOW. I was speechless and that is a rare event! I was in it again and saying “I am a tough chick, and I am proud of that.” Also something I stand by, haha!
Official Trailer
With the trailer out I was content to wait for the show to air but then we got news that Amazon would be releasing teaser videos previewing some of disciplines that we encountered along the way. More content, more excitement every few days.
The Rock Climbing one landed first and this was one of my favorite sections of the race. We make an appearance in this preview video towards the end when we are debating whether to go up the falls at night. I have SO MANY stories about all of this that I want to share after the show airs and I can’t wait to do so. So many factors go into these decisions.
Rock Climbing
The swimming section in the race was really challenging and I had no idea that teams got into this much trouble during this leg of the race. This video gave me wide eyes and I definitely found myself thinking about how we were doing during the same sections. That water was really cold!
Swimming
The race featured A TON of mountain biking and the conditions were challenging on so many fronts. The video does not do the extreme hills any justice, it was so darn hard out there. But it does do the mud some justice. We also have a cameo in this video and a VERY classic Team Iron Cowboy moment that you will have to watch. Shaun, and the water… so classic for us. Just a team of Ironman Athletes trying our best to work together and keep it as fun as possible (sometimes nearly impossible).
Mountain Biking
Then the bili bili rafts. A traditional Fijian method of transportation and yes, you pretty much steer and paddle it with a toothpick. These rafts are great when the water is moving or you can push your stick off the bottom. Did we have either of those factors? I’ll let you guess. Some team’s rafts were awesome, others… not so much. For us, this was one of the most dangerous parts of the race, more of which I will tell you about at some point.
Bili Bili Rafting
I loved watching some of the best teams in the WORLD get lost in this video and I can’t wait to see the show to get the backstory on what happened here, and where they got lost. Getting lost when you are navigating by map and compass is common, especially at night. The trekking in the race was really dense and long and treacherous. This is where a lot of injuries were sustained in the race for teams and with the thick jungle you can see why!
Jungle Trekking
Who knew that Team New Zealand HULIed at the start of the race! I surely did not! We had what I would call a terrific first few minutes in the race. I think 4 or 5 boats flipped in the first 5 minutes but we managed to get around everyone without hitting any of the racers in the water during the process. I can’t wait to watch Team Bend in the show. They are our American Adventure Racing STUDS, and all around great people!
Sailing
We have one more video to go in a few days (whitewater rafting), and we are 10 days out from the show airing!
Can you tell how excited I am to finally tell some of the stories of the race? I want to extend a huge than you to everyone who has reached out over the last few months about the race and showed support and enthusiasm. This was one of the most impactful experiences of my life and I’m excited to share it all with you.
If you want me to keep you in the loop, here’s how: