NZ's Champion Adventure Racer Back at Godzone

New Zealand’s Champion Adventure Racer Back at Godzone

The return of five-time adventure racing world champion Nathan Fa’avae to this weeks GODZone adventure race in Fiordland has put the rest of the international field on notice.

Fa’avae, from Nelson, has had a three-year hiatus from the event. He returns with a new look team that includes his wife Jodie, Mark Rayward and Dan Moore racing as team Avaya.

GODZone Event Director Warren Bates says Fa’avae is pure adventure racing talent.

“ We know the best, competitive adventure racers have to be highly skilled, powerful and both physical and mentally strong. Nathan is one of the very best.”

" He has come back to GODZone with a new team and a new sponsor. He does not do anything lightly. When it comes to New Zealand backcountry and wilderness Nathan has more knowledge than most, and I expect he will be right up the front."

Fa’ave has raced competitively as captain of the highly successful, world champion AR team Seagate for over a decade and he says returning to GODZone with a new look team is an interesting prospect.”

“Being in Fiordland is a big attraction for me, spending a week in the elements of our largest wilderness area. The remoteness and exposure to nature really appeal's.”

“ After a few years of not participating it is a mixture of excitement and trepidation. I didn't do any racing in 2017, so it's easy to feel very rusty and underprepared."

He says his new look Avaya team has different goals to many of the other teams competing.

“I’m really here to support Jodie (my wife) in her first expedition race. She wanted to experience GODZone and convinced me to come along. Our team doesn’t have competitive goals which is a different focus for me, but we do want to travel smoothly and not make mistakes, we’re good friends who want to share a special adventure in an amazing location.”

Cool, composed and understated is how Jodie Fa’avae describes her husband. She says the opportunity to race alongside him is exciting.

" Nathan always says there is no magic formula when it comes to racing and he is very focused on ensuring the team gets through efficiently, making good decisions and dealing with any issues as they come up.”

“He is very good with communication and strategy is his game – he is a master at it and not afraid to do what it takes to win. I trust him and know he will support all of us as a team,” says Jodie.

Chapter 7 of GODZone gets underway on Thursday 1st March at 8 am in the Te Anau town centre.

The official team list for 2018 can be viewed on the GODZone website here http://godzoneadventure.com/resources/team-list/

About GODZone
GODZone is one of the most technically challenging expeditions in the world with teams racing for up to ten days non stop, day and night, navigating their way through 400 – 600km of unknown terrain via map and compass.Each team of four must stay within 100 meters of each other at all times as they kayak, mountain bike, trek, raft and climb across New Zealand’s most iconic landscapes.

For more information on GODZone teams list go to
http://godzoneadventure.com or the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/godzoneadventure

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