Interview by Red Fox Polartec North America Team

Amy Caldwell, Shawnie Mulligan, Jimi Alida, Kathy Wickum

Have you participated in any other big races?

Amy. No.
Jimi. The longest race we’ve ever done was 24 hours.

What are your impressions after the race?

Kathy. It was so exciting to finish, to felt we could really do that. It was a chance of a lifetime, an amazing experience.
Shawnie. It was exciting. We are tired and exhausted, none of us have ever done anything like this before.
Amy. It was a great experience. It makes me want to train and race in more adventure races in the future.

And what’s the difference between this race and others?

Jimi. I think the hardest thing is zero sleep. We haven’t slept at all.
Kathy. That’s why we’re so sleepy. (laugh)
Jimi. The races we have done, all of them were heavily supported. Aid stations were available almost every mile.
Shawnie. Every food was available, every drink was available. The course was marked everywhere – every lake, every two hundred yards. It’s really cool that here you’re truly on your own. In American races you’re super supported, marked and taken care of. And here you’re doing everything for yourself, which was great!
Jimi. We really felt like we were out in the middle of nowhere. It was so beautiful. I’ve never been anywhere so beautiful.
Amy. This race was a really fun mental challenge. It was an adventure in the truest sense of the word.

What seemed most difficult to you?

Jimi. Mosquitoes. (all laughing)
Kathy. And the climbing was for me. It was tough when we came to the underwater bog and had to swim. It was like the swamps.
Shawnie. In the US trekking is different. There are trails, the course is marked out so it's all clear to see. And here Amy was bringing us to trees and bogs…
Jimi. Amy was our orienteer and she did a great job. She did amazing!
Amy. But I’d never really orienteered before. So it was pretty crazy.
Shawnie. She started practicing a month ago and then did this.
Amy. I was just using a compass and a map. Theoretically, it’s very easy, but you know, it’s like climbing or any sport. You need practice to get really good at it. And so we all are like super-beginners who went into the hardest race in Russia with zero experience. I think for us it was super-successful. Thinking back, we accomplished an amazing amount of tasks. We got into trouble a couple of times but figured out what we needed to do to get out of those troubles.
Jimi. And there was no whining. (laugh)
Amy. Which was amazing!
Jimi. I think the thing we didn’t understand which is probably the most important in an Adventure Race is strategy. That’s what you need experience for, to have a good strategy. When I was talking to a Danish girl we rode in here, she said that it’s the key thing. Her first race was with three other guys who knew how to do that, and they had a plan. So that’s one thing we’ve definitely learned.

Would you like to participate in this race again?

Jimi. Yes. We have an opportunity.
Kathy. I want to go to the Elbrus Race. (all laughing)
Amy. Yes, definitely

And what do you remember most of all?

Jimi. To me it was just being here, in a place so remote, so far from where I live. And participating. It was truly an adventure that we were out there.
Amy. Hmm… I loved the kayaking. And there are so many highlights like going to the beaver dam. It was a biking stage and we had no swimsuits so we just got naked and went to get a checkpoint because we didn’t want to get all our clothes wet.
Shawnie. We laughed a little when we found that bridge where the check point was. That bridge was awesome!
Amy. Then we were kayaking and saw the big climbing area. There were check points 150 and 79, and just seeing the check point 150 with those cables…Oh my God!
Jimi. I don’t think I’ve ever felt myself so small. And we also got a little lost on the bike in a small village. There was a gentleman wearing army fatigues who tried to draw a map for us in the dirt with a giant knife.
Amy. At midnight. (laugh)
Jimi. He didn’t speak English and thought that if he talked louder and faster, he’d help us.

What do you think about the organization of the race?

Kathy. It’s perfect, I like it. Being here, in Russia, so far and remote is amazing.
Amy. The organization was great. The course was amazing with lots of great adventures to be had and all of the volunteers were very patient and kind.

Your team, Red Fox Polartec North America, represents the Russian brand Red Fox. What can you say about it?

Jimi. I’m working for the Red Fox company and everybody is very pleased with its products. People like it very much. Red Fox provides equipment with thought-out elements.
Shawnie. Good for extreme. It keeps you warm, amazingly dry and so on.
Kathy. I was impressed at how well my Red Fox gear kept me warm and dry throughout the entire race no matter what weather conditions we encountered. Plus I thought we looked good as the only female team in Pink!
Amy. I hadn’t heard of Red Fox before this year and now look forward to using many of its products in years to come. It is really amazing stuff and it has been fun to meet a lot of the people behind the brand.