Enjoyment key but still serious affair

THE Coast to Coast witnesses the exploits of some phenomenal athletes every year, but also in the mix are stories of courage, adversity and character.

Southlanders Norman Crosswell and Jeff Hegan and their crew are such a group putting the emphasis on enjoyment with a mix of serious athletic endeavour this weekend.

Having completed six Longest Day races in his nine previous incursions, Crosswell, who turns 51 on Tuesday, has been one to embrace the tandem team section since its inclusion in the event three years ago.

But his previous experiences with the 243km multidisciplined event are something not lost on his support crew, who keep him mindful of his two DNFs.

“One year if flooded and they closed the river and I didn't finish. The other year I was just a bit fat. I was a bit rounded. A bit slow and didn't make it to the cutoff time.”

As for his six Longest Day events, Crosswell said they were all pretty challenging.

“It's a big day. It's a personal battle really. You just get in and have a go.”

The most challenging aspect of preparing for the tandem race this year has been learning to kayak the doubleseated craft with firsttimer Hegan.

“We've been upside down a few times. But I think we've got it about right now.”

The goal for Hegan has always been “to just finish”, but Crosswell was quick to tell him to harden up and that they were there to win.

“We are going to win this,” he said with true southern optimism.

Should they win, however, they may face the race judiciary for wishing malice on their opponents.

While the pair have a wide support base, they do have concerns for the social nature of their large crew on course.

“Getting them on course has been a huge effort,” Crosswell said, adding that they seemed to spend a lot of time accessing the chilly bin.

“But they still manage to have a driver. We just have one good one [crew member]. We're just not sure who it is.”

In all seriousness, Crosswell paid tribute to a very well organised event.

“The race has changed somewhat over the years. Definitely getting more popular now. Originally it was just the one and twoday individual races. It's good seeing a lot more people getting involved.