THE Fear Youth team from New Zealand displayed awesome skills and stamina to rule the La Routa Adventure 2023 in Naval, Biliran on Friday, November 24.

The four-day adventure which started on November 20 tested the participants’ stamina. The activities involved trekking, mountain biking, paddling, swimming, rappelling and a mystery challenge in the island province of Biliran, one of the smallest provinces in the Philippines.

The Kiwis bested 16 other teams, including Nonstop Adventure from Poland; KBS Adventure Race Team, Team Skomad ADV and Kamikaze AR from Malaysia; India’s

Sky Runners and Team Shershah; and Japan’s Team Chomolungma.

Notably, this marks the debut of a Philippine race in the esteemed regional championship of the Adventure Racing World Series. Eight local teams participated in the Biliran challenge.

The victory earned the Kiwis a chance to compete in the Adventure Racing World Series in Ecuador in November 2024.

The Biliran challenge was the first in the Philippines which was supported by the Department of Tourism and the Provincial Government of Biliran.

Jason Garido, La Routa organizer and race master, commended the racers for withstanding the challenging weather conditions, and for displaying poise amid daunting obstacles during adventure.

“Adventure as its nature always has so many variables, the weather, difficulty in climate, and time. But as adventure racers, we always try to overcome,” said Garido.

“We should also reflect that when we overcome, we should do it with grace and poise, and whatever we do during the race speaks for who we are,” added Garido.

Heide Muller, CEO of Adventure Racing World Series, expressed gratitude to the Philippine government for supporting the event.

She also cited the role of adventure races in promoting the country as a premier destination for adventure tourism.