“The ants came in and they are massive ants It was a success, with almost four million been killed once but crashing into a tree saved
in South America – I could not even see my spectators along the route starting and me from going over the edge with a big fall, so
sleeping bag for them, that is how many there fi nishing in Buenos Aires, going from sea level that was quite lucky.
were in my tent. up to 5,000 metres in the Andes and crossing
the Atacama Desert. “For part of it you are going over big, massive
“It was really cold and I was so tired. I tried dunes. When you reach the top and look back,
to get to sleep with ants all over my face and “When I got there, the crowds were then anyone at the bottom looks likes ants
mouth. It was awful, I hated it. unbelievable,” said Bounds. “The Argentinian they are so far away.
football team is huge but this had bigger
“However it was amazing when I fi nished, crowds than when they won the World Cup. “It is the driest place on earth, it has not
there is no better feeling than that.” rained there for something like 300 years.”
"The tree stopped me going
It would not have been possible without All of which might make you think that Bounds
support from the Sports Council for Wales over the edge – I suppose would know his limit and would call it a day
through the Elite Cymru scheme, along with after fi nishing a very credible 11th, however he
sponsorship from Askey Precision Engineering that was quite lucky" is determined to rejoin the particular brand of
in Birmingham and GT Wall and Sons electrical people who take part.
fi r m . “I had an awesome welcome when we went
through the Welsh colonies in Pategonia. Then “The people who do the Dakar Rally are
Mechanic Bernie Wright of Adventure at 5,000 metres above sea level, everyone had very, very good endurance riders. The typical
Mechanics also made the whole thing possible, altitude sickness and we felt quite ill. competitor is either an ex-world champion or
for what has become probably the most the sort of person who has climbed Everest or
famous endurance race in the world. “It was very dangerous on some of the high crossed the Atlantic in a canoe,” he explained.
spots because it was easy to fall asleep while
The Dakar Rally started as the Paris-Dakar riding, because you do not get enough sleep “I probably do want to do it again, I do want to
Rally from France to Senegal, taking in much through the event. Some nights you only get have another go for some mad reason.”
of the African deserts. However the political two to three hours.
situation in Africa had deteriorated so much Mad is the word – but then it can’t be as bad
that it was moved to South America last year. “You are going at 80 kmh and can go next time, can it?
completely off track – I am sure I would have
INVOLVED IN EXTREME OR ENDURANCE SPORTS?
PROBLEM FINDING THE RIGHT SUPPLEMENTS?
PROBLEM SOLVED!
“Whizzed up from a 100g sachet, this was so moreish that I had to stop myself
polishing the whole litre off in one gluttonous glugfest. Did it aid performance?
You can say that again, and come the 50 minute mark of my run, when I'm
normally ready for collapsing, I surged ahead, feeling wonderfully strong. It
delivers a turbo-charged performance.” - Outdoor Adventure Guide Magazine
sportingwales
issue7twothousand&nine
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