Gunning, Whaley and Playfair at the start.
Canot-camping La Vérendrye
winner Carter Johnson. From their standing in Carmacks, team organizers expect Whaley and Gunning to arrive in Dawson City early after- noon. But the team starts picking off boats one by one. Early Saturday morning, they quietly pass the finish line, exhausted but exalted—55 hours and 16 minutes after they paddled out of Whitehorse. In total, 56 of the 73 teams complete the
2009 race, with a Voyageur team from Texas taking the top title. But Whaley and Gunning didn’t just finish, they triumphed, coming third in the K2 category—just two minutes shy of the K2 winning team. One year later, all three agree the mental
challenge was the most difficult to overcome. While physical conditioning is necessary, emo- tional strength is key. It propelled Whaley and Gunning to keep going, finish the race—a con- siderable achievement on its own—and un- derlay the competitive shift they felt late in the race. Tey now crave an even greater title. Playfair, while understandably proud of his
quest, also longs for a second chance. “I left something on the river which will play with my mind until I get the opportunity to try this again,” he sums up. “Te landscape was breath- taking, the people were warm and hospitable and the race only added to a spectacular adven- ture we will all speak of for years to come.”
ALISON WOOD is a freelance writer, a mother of three, and the editor of Today’s Parent Toronto.
Wanna Race?
Te Yukon River Quest takes place every year in late June. Online registration typi- cally begins in November for the follow- ing summer and some categories sell out quickly. Race and registration information can be found at
www.yukonriverquest.com.
www.adventurekayakmag.com 39
Photo: FQCK
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