Local Adventurers Flock to the Rio Theatre for FEATCanada

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The SOLD OUT FEATCanada, Fascinating Expedition & Adventure Talks at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver was buzzing with local adventurers and athletic types eagerly awaiting their role models and peers for inspiration. The event was intimate and “cool,” complete with sponsor love, in the form of Mountain Life, Impact Magazine, Get Out There Mag and Happy Water. I was blown away by the adventure talks I overheard by the washrooms before the show had even begun… and they were by no means girlie. Women nonchalantly discussed upcoming 50K races and extreme expeditions like it was as routine as grabbing a java.

Nine speakers took the stage for a max of seven minutes max each. Behind them, slides rotated every 20 seconds as their stories and personal quests for endurance and amazing-ness unfolded.  Adventure rower Paul Gleeson MC’d the evening. First up was Jen Segger, adventure racer and endurance athlete who pops her pain and suffering into a “pain box” and feels balance is the key ingredient if you are going to make it fun.

Next, Whistler extreme adventure photographer Robin O’Neil claimed her career success stems from taking risks and saying “yes” without hesitation and that people who always say “no” should “stop thinking too much!” Simon Whitehead biked across South America and swears by “getting the balls to get on with it” despite a visit from banditos along his route!

Aimee Dunn said her quest as a mountain biking mom has been a personal evolution. Sarah Jamieson takes long distance running to a whole new level and describes her inner superhero as her motivator in RUN4ACAUSE where a positive attitude is a must. Lena Rowatt skied backcountry from Vancouver to Alaska with a total of five pair of socks and three undies and spent a total of 350 hours of her expedition melting snow to hydrate.

Before Kris Holm spoke, I had no idea the sport of Unicycling had ever been taken off-road and onto the mountain nor that Lina Augaitis had taken SUP to an entirely new level. With a title like “World’s BEST Female Ultra marathoner,” Ellie Greenwood’s final talk was monumental being that it was International Women’s Day.

Truly, it put my personal adventures to shame when I sat in a sold-out house and attentively immersed myself in the personal achievements and FEATs of nine amazing adventurers. It makes me wonder why snow running has not yet made the Talks but promises that indeed there is hope that snowshoe running and racing is growing and has nowhere to go but up.

Watch FEATCanada speakers on YouTube HERE and get inspired to be even more amazing than you already are, all it takes is confidence and determination.

Let’s collectively aim to get snowshoe running and racing on stage next year!

For more information on FEATCanada, visit http://www.featcanada.ca.

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