About Stephania Varalli
Stephania Varalli was sweetspot.ca’s first employee and is currently off on one of her many adventures (though thanks to her life motto of "seemed like a good idea at the time," she still has a myriad of stories archived to enjoy).
Ready For Adventure?
that's what sv said canada
(Mar.30.09)
This is not the first entry (and will not be the last) about my extreme sport endeavours - but it is an important one. Instead of reminiscing about my many tales from Adventure Racing I'm going to answer the one question I always get asked with regards to the sport: WHY?
Variety is the spice of life. Each race offers multiple sports with both mental and physical challenges (run, bike, paddle meets map, compass, checkpoint). You don't know until race day how long you'll be spending in each discipline, or if there are any bonus challenges. And surprises are fun (even when they involve a trek through a bog).
As the wise John Cougar Mellencamp once said, it Hurts So Good. I've often wondered if being raised by Catholic immigrants has made me incapable of feeling joy before a hard day's work and a healthy dose of suffering. I have a hunch that women of any background would agree there's nothing quite like the accomplishment of crossing the finish line and feeling like you've earned your day on earth.
It's better than therapy. Adventure racing has made me an individual that solves problems calmly, works well in teams, never quits and faces all fears (I often tell myself "don't think, just do"). I'm also really good at getting muddy and peeing in the outdoors, which is very freeing for a woman who spends much of her life in high heels.
If you're interested in getting started, here's a great opportunity: the We AR Women contest gives two lucky females free entry to the Frontier Adventure Challenge at Deerhurst, on a team captained by AR superstar Trish Westman (so you can't get lost). The race is on May 2, but the contest closes today (Monday) so don't wait to enter! And even if you don't make the contest cutoff, there's still time to enter the race. Hesitating? Now would be a good time to use the "don't think, just do" trick I mentioned earlier. You don't need to be bionic to finish a race, just determined. So why not try?
Have any questions about adventure racing? I'm happy to answer them all! Just slip them into the comments.
