A Wet and Wild 24 hours: the crew's perspective
iau 24h asia and oceania championships - 6 april 2024 - ais, canberra, act
contributed by hayley boneham, aura member
As race week approached, the excitement grew palpable as each of us embarked on our journey across the country to converge in Australia’s capital. It felt like a reunion of old friends for John, Maree, Michael, Alicia, Matt, Cassie, Jenny, Grant, Su Yi, Jono, Justin, and me, warmly welcoming newcomers Luke, Lauren, Gemma, and Phil to our team.
The newcomers quickly adapted, and initially, we found ourselves engrossed in socialising, momentarily losing sight of our purpose for being there. My primary responsibility? Keeping Maree and Michael in top shape and ensuring they stuck to their race plans. No pressure, right?
My duties kicked off early on Thursday morning when they were scheduled for a press conference. While both are comfortable talking underwater, facing the camera posed a new challenge. I had a mere 15 minutes to provide media training and equip them with talking points for the conference. They did quite well - here’s the link if you’d like to watch!
The remainder of my time was consumed by meetings, food shopping, and preparing Michael’s meals. Luckily, I found time to fit in a few runs around Lake Ginninderra—a stunning body of water teeming with wildlife, and a popular spot for Belconnen residents to get their daily exercise. But back to the food prep—some athletes fuel on gels and liquids, but not Michael. Mashed potato, sandwiches, fried rice - the Jet Boiler proved its worth tenfold!
The day before the race, excitement mounted with the Opening Ceremony as our athletes, dressed in their green and gold attire proudly carried our flag across the AIS grounds and onto the stage alongside fellow competitors. Afterward, we bonded over a delicious team dinner, sharing laughter and camaraderie before returning to our accommodation for final race preparations and some well-deserved rest.
Our accommodation initially felt dreamy—comfortable beds, all the amenities, conveniently located—until it turned into a nightmare when the smoke alarm blared at 11:30 pm, and we were all evacuated from the building. Who doesn’t love a spontaneous fire drill right before a big race?
Come morning, we dragged our tired selves out of bed into pouring rain at 7am, lugging suitcases and equipment across the AIS track while the athletes stayed dry at the hotel.
Setting up camp amidst puddles and rain, we transformed our humble marquee into a crew tent fit for an F1 pit stop. Not wanting to get too wet, our athletes arrived fashionably late, and we sprang into action to assist with final preparations for the gruelling 24-hour race.
Now, let me paint a picture of this race for you: imagine running around a 400m track for 24 hours—a feat of mind-boggling endurance, made even harder by Canberra's unpredictable weather, which experiences four seasons in a day. We experienced torrential rain for the first 4 hours of the race followed by blazing sun, 22 degrees Celsius, no wind, and 79% humidity. At the first sight of sunshine, we rushed outside the tent to hang out the athletes' wet clothes over makeshift clotheslines and chairs, only to hurriedly bring them back in 3 hours later as the weather shifted once more, and the rain returned. For the remainder of the race, rain persisted throughout the night.
Despite this, our athletes began the race strong. However, as the weather shifted, so did the challenges they encountered. Throughout the gruelling event, our athletes confronted a myriad of obstacles—cramping, dehydration, injury, nausea, and even bouts of exorcism-style vomiting.
Right from the start, poor Grant was hit with a sudden quad injury, while Alicia faced persistent foot issues that kept Lauren and Justin on their toes throughout the race.
Michael and Maree kept me busy, requiring fuelling and hydration every 15 minutes before Michael suffered cramps for two hours, prompting increased electrolytes, stretching, shoe changes—everything to ease his discomfort. He picked up the pace until nausea struck, leading to four hours of relentless vomiting. Unfortunately, this triggered a chain reaction, with Maree and Jenny also grappling with nausea and vomiting.
The chaos somehow spilled over to athletes from other countries who weren't prepared for the sudden weather change. Glancing across the track, I witnessed a surreal sight—athletes desperately hurling themselves off the track in search of toilets, bins, or a patch of grass. Sadly, no amount of rain could wash away the aftermath, so the surroundings took on an unintended artistic flair.
Despite the challenges, the crew rallied together, turning the crew tent into an emergency room as we treated and troubleshooted each issue, sending the athletes back out promptly each time. Simone and Ewan were phenomenal during this period—jumping in to help us solve issues, heat up food, and even massage Grant! The camaraderie was inspiring, and our goal was clear - get all 10 athletes to the finish line. No matter what.
After pulling out all the stops, we managed to keep all athletes on the track, albeit some walking and hobbling around. The women’s team rallied together, demonstrating true teamwork and grit, with Maree leading from behind, pushing Cassie and Jenny to achieve personal bests and break away further from second place New Zealand who were nipping at their heels.
The men found themselves in second place throughout the race, engaging in a fierce battle with first - place India. Mayhem continued to ensue in the final hours as all athletes, worn out and exhausted, approached the home stretch. However, a beacon of sportsmanship emerged from Grant and the Australian men’s team. Realising that our top three male runners were slowing down in the final hour due to mental challenges and exhaustion, Grant summoned his remaining strength and began pacing Luke, John, and Phil. The pace train stretched across the track, inspiring India's Amar Singh Devanda to join in. Grant maintained the pace for the entire final hour, pushing the men and helping Phil to achieve a personal best and a Continental record.
Despite setbacks, we emerged stronger and closer as a team. I am immensely proud of the crew and athletes for representing their country, supporting each other, and promoting this incredible sport. Special mention goes to Matthew Eckford for bringing this amazing race to Australia and putting on a spectacular event.
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