麻豆社区

CARMACKS 鈥� For most of the teams involved in the 715-km River Quest race, the living is all in the getting there.

Whitehorse voyageur team Paddlers Abreast is a prime example.

The all-women canoe team is made up of mainly breast cancer survivors.

They aim at completing the race to take back something that was stolen from them.

"We don't think of ourselves as a competitive team, but I think that we've approached the race very practically and safely,鈥� said team captain Linda Rapp.

"We've done it now for 13 years. We don't race because of the prize money. We race really to provide that opportunity for breast cancer survivors to give them the experience of just doing something incredibly life-affirming.

"A lot of them have gone through really awful surgeries and treatments, and this is just such a great way to feel like you have some control, when they've gone through things where they felt like they had absolutely no control over what was happening to their bodies.鈥�

This year's team includes many veteran paddlers such as Lynn Rice Rideout, Maralyn Rogers, Dawn Fralick, Michelle Wagner and Claire Desmarais.

Rapp herself has raced 11 times.

"This is really great for women just to feel powerful and that they've accomplished something,鈥� said the 56-year-old cancer survivor.

"There's life after breast cancer. You can still go on and lead a healthy, happy life. It doesn't have to be the end of all your adventures.鈥�

Sometimes, women will paddle in support or in memory of breast cancer survivors. Often, members of the team do not know one another prior to the race, but finish as life-long friends.

Another cause that promotes itself by competing in the annual race down the Yukon River is Help for Heroes, which provides injured war veterans with funding post-battle.

This year, two teams have entered the race in the men's voyageur category, and are known as simply "Interserve H4H1鈥� and "Interserve H4H2鈥�.

Dougie Sutherland is the captain of the first boat, while Tim Smith wears the C for the second team. Both are ex-servicemen.

Sutherland said the teams are expecting to raise more than 100,000 pounds via personal and corporate donations.

"This race really suits the Brits' mentality to come out and give it a crack,鈥� he told the Star Thursday. "It's not easy, I have to say.鈥�

Smith is a returning racer, and his team had a lead of about an hour and a half over Sutherland's boat coming into Carmacks.

"The main reason behind our visit is to raise money for Help for Heroes, a five-year-old charity in the U.K. to help wounded service men and women from the Iraq War onwards,鈥� he said.

"It supports wounded servicepeople and their families. It allows them to have a productive life after.鈥�

Smith said the race has proved to be a gripping adventure through the wilderness, and he hopes Interserve will continue to have a connection with the River Quest long into the future.

Teams set out for Kirkman Creek Thursday night, the second mandatory layover of the race.

See next Tuesday's Star for full race coverage, including winners and awards.