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Exhilaration at the finish line
Team Accor Domination celebrating
Exhausted, but always a smile
Support from the Villages was strong during the bike ride. Below, our Fijian competitors
Making it to the finish after a 4km swim.
The Accor Blacks celebrating the All Blacks win agains England prior to the Race.
The heat was truly on for the run.
Regrouping before tackling the busy Queens Road.
Team Manly taking it all in.
Accor Domination - yes they actually are asleep and it is only the day before day 1.
Ratu Joni (bottom right) honoured Race to Survive and attended the gala celebration.
Take off - the Outrigger sprint at Vomo
Team Base Backpackers enjoy the priceless sunset on Vomo.
New Zealand Chief, Wayne Greenwood is taught the art of Kava by Leone from Mocambo Hotel.
Team Kai Viti model their swim wear which was courtesy of Rebel Sport.
Race to Survive is dedicated to the beautiful children of Fiji
Ilaitia Korolaga models his team Accor Blacks new uniform.
Taking a moment
The ocean swim as seen from below
2km swim - not a problem
Bessie and Elizabeth make it back to shore
Bula Fiji and Base Backpackers
Roger from the Dark Horses taking care
Jeff and Bessie taking time out
The Accor Blacks experience Fiji roads
Fiji Horses cheering on their team
Fiona sporting another Melbourne Cup number
Tiffany Foon sporting her Melbourne Cup number.
Semi contemplating the beginning of a 20km bike ride
Before the 9km Vomo run
Competitors were tired because....dancing at Mocambo
....dancing at Eds
....dancing "After Dark"
They also survived five days of running, swimming, biking and outrigging for the Kids!
congratulations to Team Menzies who raised $21,000 from this event
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Survivor News DAY 5 NOVEMBER 10TH - THE FINISH LINE At the beginning we said that sport is about emotion: joy, tears and smiles. That is certainly what the Race to Survive delivered. 72 competitors crossed the finish together for the kids.
Exhausted, but exhilarated after 5 days the competitors set off once more from Mocambo hotel and biked to Sofitel where they went straight onto an ocean swim.
Whatever it took, they got each other back to shore, some going back into the water to bring each other home.
Then, it was the final leg, a run in scorching heat. Severe blisters prevented Adele Petran from running so team Fiji Horses carried her in on their shoulders. Everyone was united by their experience of the last five days and united to give something back to Fiji.
For the future of Fiji, its children, people came together, many surviving five days that previously they had not thought themselves capable of. At the start, most were strangers but they crossed the finish line no longer as 12 individual teams but as Kolinio Temo, Team Captain of Fiji Time said "we came home together, as one Village". DAY 4 NOVEMBER 9TH For a large number of the Race to Survive Competitors very little sleep had been had. While many had planned on catching up on sleep an impromptu Kava session lead to numerous Fijian games being played on the beach at Vomo Island until the small hours of the morning. They showed up at 5am, tired and subdued but still managed smiles for the camera.
The sea conditions were choppy and Plan B had to to be implemented with a sprint race out to Vomo Lailai and back with a change over and back. A team was now reliant on 12 people and they knew it and swapped team jerseys in acknowledgment. Team Fiji Wai and the Dark Horses even renamed themselves and are now the Fiji Horses.
The Fiji Horses Limbering up before the sprint The air was electric as teams set off and there were cheers from the beach that continued throughout the race.
Team Manly and Team Fiji Time were first back to the beach.
It was then off to the mainland for the mountain bike ride of the day. As the Outrigger had not been the endurance test initially planned a very frantic pace was set for the ride, but those smiles still kept coming.
The pain and exhaustion was worth it as everyone arrived back at Mocambo Hotel to be greeted by over 100 cheering children.
Team Sa Yawa The Accor Blacks
DAY 3 NOVEMBER 8TH Day 3 and another early start for our competitors. First up was a serious run at Vomo. A few of our competitors are suffering injuries, with knee joints being tested, sore muscles, particularly as result of cramping from the swim on day 1. The team spirit has well and truly kicked in by now as teams helped each other across the line.
Team Fiji limbering up for the run.
Heading for the finish line.
Team Manly pre run. After the run there was a cooling down time for everyone and then a hearty open air breakfast. A few used the time to catch up on some sleep before they set out for a 2km swim.
At 9am it was action again as they took to the water. Although they were exhausted all enjoyed the exhilaration of the swim and the beautiful view beneath the water.
Stretching it out before the swim on day 3
2km later
There has been gallons of this consumed already
TUESDAY 7TH NOVEMBER Day 2 of Race to Survive and the alarms went off at 4.30am at Mocambo Hotel as subdued competitors got ready for a challenging 20k mountain bike through beautiful and challenging terrain. There were a number who were certainly feeling the stiffness from day 1.
As with the previous day competitors got a lot of support on the day and the timing was perfect as children were heading to school.
Spirits were still high, although there was an air of trepidation from a number of the international teams in particular as they headed to Vuda Point for the Outrigging leg to Vomo Island.
The trip over was not without mishap with a number of outriggers overturning and dumping our competitors in the sea. But all teams managed to get themselves up and after three hours touched foot on the Vomo beach.
If they thought they were going to experience the 5 star luxury that is Vomo they were wrong. It is all about survival and for most it was their first experience of camping in the tropics.
The days hardships were forgotten as the competitors experienced a true welcome from the Vomo team, including a Meke, a performance from the Vomo band and one of the most glorious sunsets.
Learning to weave
Dancing to the Vomo Band
No words needed MONDAY 6TH NOVEMBER - DAY 1 We said at the beginning that sport was about emotion, joy, tears and smiles and that this event would have it all, well the first day of Race to Survive more than delivered. Pictured below - The Dark Horses
All 72 competitors were buzzing as they set off for the 9km run from Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa. The 30+ heat certainly challenged even the hardiest runners.
Above, the start of the run - everyone was just a little more spread out coming home. The first Team home was the Accor Blacks who kept up the pace during the 4km open sea swim. The swimming leg saw some particular challenges, especially from cramp and the fact that a number of competitors had only just learn;t to swim in the last few months.
A qucik lunch and a lot of water and everyone was ready to tackle the 20km cycle from Denarau to Mocambo Hotel. It was certainly far from sealed roads all the way and it took everyone past Villages who came out to show their support of the event and for Cure Kids Fiji.
A few temporary road blocks had to be put up on the way to ensure all the cyclists could get to the final Day 1 destination of Mocambo where upon arrival they ere greeted by a rousing welcome.
Tonight everyone will gather for Kava and dinner, united by having accomplished the first day. SUNDAY 5TH NOVEMBER After many months of training all Teams in the Race to Survive have arrived in the beautiful Fiji Islands. The day started with an intensive Race briefing which drew the occassional gasp from the audience as the relalised what exactly they had signed on for.
A bus trip to Vuda Point for some additional Outrigger training produced variable results. A group chose how to demonstrate what not to do and ended up capsizing whilst another showed a change over which was so synchronized it was literally poetry in motion.
Above, what you should look like in an Outrigger and below what you should not look like.
The final stop of the day was a visit to the Paediatric Ward at Lautoka Hospital. This truly brought home to eveyrone what the Accor Race to Survive to Cure Kids is all about. It is for the kids and it is for the future of Fiji - its children.
Above is 9 year old Seru Bebe who suffers from Nephrotic Syndrome. ROKOCOKO ROCKS
New Zealand All Black sensation Joe Rockocoko took time away from his pre Northern Hemisphere tour training camp to lend his support to Cure Kids Fiji. Joe was born in Nadi, Fiji and makes frequent visits back to visit family and friends. He did not hesitate when he was asked if we could film him and use his profile to help promote Cure Kids Fiji - thank you Joe! FUND RAISING FROGS GIVES NEW MEANING TO THE "FRENCH TOUCH" "French touch" is integral to Sofitel hotels all over the world that artfully blend French taste (sic) with the best of local traditions. So when the activities team at Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa held the inaugural Frog Race to raise money for Cure Kids FIji, locals and tourists alike knew that the joie de vivre is alive and well in Fiji. $400 was raised from the first race and one superstar frog was auctioned off for $100 alone. OUR DOCTOR HERO
Due to funds already raised for Cure Kids Fiji we recently had top Paediatric Surgeon and leading Kidney Specialist, Doctor William Wong in Fiji. Doctor Wong is currently the Director of Nephrology at Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. While in Fiji Dr Wong ran six days of clinics for Paedatric medical staff in both Lautoka and Suva. Among te children he saw were some he had treated at Starship in previous years and he was heartened to see they were doing well. Conversely he was stunned at the lack of basic equipment and access to medical information. He wishes to continue contributing to the medical care of children in Fiji in a meaningful way and to achieve continuity to achieve the best possible results. ACCOR BLACKS VS SILVER FERNS Will they survive five days so the kids can survive a lifetime? These two gentlemen are certainly trying to. Wayne Greenwood (Mercure Hotel Wellington) and Olivier Lacoua (Hotel Ibis Wellington) were busy fundraising at Wellington Airport when New Zealand's national netball team, the Silverferns dropped in to lend their support. ACCOR BLACKS GO WILD FUND RAISING Quiz Nights, Cycling in Wellington for 24 hours and going out in public in their school uniforms (when they are too old to even remember) has seen the Accor Blacks raise some serious dollars for the children of Fiji and remain determined to keep it coming in.
Sonny – Manager of Fiji Time and Bula Fiji While the teams respect the knowledge of Sonny some of his training techniques have been called into question. No need to pursue that here but needless to say after 2 operations the team member is now walking again. Who know she may even be out of hospital to watch the start of the race. As Sonny always says before a training session with the two Fijian teams “you are not here to bake cakes today boys and girls”. There is no doubt that the Fijian competitors upon crossing the finishing line in the race will be very appreciative of Sonny’s training but until that day it will consistent pain. TEAMS FIJI TIME AND BULA FIJI UNDERTAKE SWIMMING LESSONS Suprisingly for an Island nation, many Fijian nationals cannot swim. Therefore soliciting the services of the top Fijian National Swim Coach is guaranteed to give these two teams a competitive edge.
The first training session saw all team members being challenged by new techniques and many laps up and down the Sofitel Resort pool.
Remember to visit Survivor News constantly between the 6th and 10th of November 2006 to track the progress of the teams during Accor Race to Survive to Cure Kids – Fiji Islands. TEAM BASE BACKBACKERS GET BACK TO BASICS WITH THE UNDIE 500 SWIM TO RAISE EXTRA MONEY FOR CURE KIDS FIJI!
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Team Menzies ready to Race
This man is well known in Fiji as the toughest manager anyone could hope not to have. If he eats nails for breakfast the entire team has to eat nails, if he feels like adding another lap to your 8 km run he will add 2 more laps. The man has one thing on his mind and that is to produce competitors that will supply sub human efforts in the face of adversity. (Strange fellow) 
A warm 27 degree day was perfect for the first official swimming training with National coach Ana Nagatalevu FOR Teams Fiji and Bula FIji. 
A number of wobbly swimming lines resulted in a number of collisions but is just all part of learning to swim squad style for the teams who will progress to the ocean for open water training in the next 5 weeks.
