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Adventurer takes on New Zealands original Adventure Race
Date: 13-1-2020
Never one to shy away from a challenge, world-renowned mountaineer, adventurer and conservationist Holly Budge has her sights set firmly on the Kathmandu Coast to Coast.
Budge was the first woman to skydive off Mt Everest, to raise awareness of the African elephant crisis and raise charitable funds for her charity, How Many Elephants. She founded the charity six years ago while she was studying for a Masters in Sustainable Design.
The charity’s mission is to stop the poaching of African elephants for ivory.
Budge is based in Franz Josef, a place she credits with providing the best possible training environment for the Coast to Coast. “I’ve totally thrown myself into this and I’m very fortunate living in Franz, being able to get out on the kayak three to four times a week has been great.”
Budge says the training for the Coast to Coast has been a different type of endurance than she’s used to despite having scaled the highest and most technical mountains in the world and having a long career as a skydiver and filmer.
“Everest, for example, is a 60-day expedition, and when I did that, I’d had a few mountains under my belt so I knew what to expect. It’s a long slog, but you’re able to ease into it.
“The Coast to Coast is tough from the very beginning, where mountaineering is slow and methodical the Coast to Coast is going to be a full on two days and it’s going to hurt.”
However, Budge is confident her mental toughness will kick in when her body starts to tire.
“I’m always advocating in my talks, when you think you’re done you’re actually only at 75 percent.
“It’s being able to rationalize, when your body is screaming you need to listen to that part of your brain that says keep going.”
It’s this perseverance and desire to push out of her comfort zone which is helping to drive Budge, even in her most difficult of the three disciplines.
A past scare in a whitewater rafting incident some years back has left Budge with an apprehension of fast-moving water.
“It was about 20 years ago, we got flipped out of the raft and I became trapped underneath it. The instructor had told me if this happens to find the air pocket. When I found the air pocket it was so tiny and I just couldn’t breathe, suffering from asthma as well I really panicked.”
Despite this, Budge says she has been enjoying learning how to kayak and gaining new skills and confidence. She’s gained her grade 2 and has spent some time on the Waimakariri River already.
“This is definitely another adventure for me, I’m coming into it from ground zero. I’d never been on a road bike and the furthest I had ever run was 15km – I’m not a natural runner.
“I feel confident I can transfer the skills I’ve learnt in other extreme challenges to give me the persistence and sheer dogged determination I will need to pull this off. My motto is – think big, dream bigger.”
Budge hasn’t ruled out doing the Coast to Coast again – all going well she wouldn’t mind having a crack at the longest day.
“People have said to me once you have done the Coast to Coast you’re hooked.”
The media team don’t usually let me near the article and press release aspect of the Kathmandu Coast to Coast, and technically, at this time of the year, I should be revising the Health and Safety Plan and finalising operation issues. But one of the reasons I love this job and the event so much is due to the ‘Elite Category’. So, I’m going to pull rank and share my opinions on the race this year.
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There’s almost a sort of “Hotel California” thing going with the Kathmandu Coast to Coast: “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” People get hooked, and they keep coming back, either working their way through the various events and age groups or targeting personal bests year by year. Two-time champion Kristina Anglem did manage to check out and for the most part, has left, but not before generating an awful lot of goodwill with fellow competitors, officials and general supporters. Competing initially under her maiden name, Kristina Strode Penny only raced the Coast to Coast on four occasions. Still, she certainly cast a long (warm) shadow over the race and ushered in a new younger group of women who would dominate the event in the years to come. Growing up in Wellington, Kristina’s initial sporting passion was gymnastics, but she retired at the ripe old age of 11. “After that, I always yearned to be out in nature. I would take myself off for walks or runs along the eastern walkway. Wellington is loaded with walkways.” Her two older brothers were keen on bashing about in the outdoors, and one arranged for a mountain bike for his sister. “I rode all the trails, and around the same time, I got into rock climbing and joined the Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club.” Helicopter parents in the new millennium would be horrified by the teenage Kristina’s next move into outdoor sports. “We lived by the sea and got given an old kayak – an old canvas thing that I laugh at now. I would take myself out into the bay and figure out how to roll, then off and yonder in the sea! Looking back at some of those things now as a parent, I’m glad my Mum didn’t have a clue what was going on! I’d paddle out to these rocks and come back – miss the Picton ferry by chance!”
Are you a high school student in New Zealand with a thirst for adventure and a love for the outdoors?
In our second episode of Season 5 Richard Greer from TeamCP provides some key insights including how to best manage your bike, running and kayaking training six months out from race day, along with an event update from our Race Director Glen Currie. Plus, we have previous podcast guest Sophie Beaumont sharing tips and tricks for first-time athletes. Listen online here
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