The A-Files on adventure.mountainzone.com

It is April 30, 1999 in the Philippines, in a place called Tacloban. Barely able to walk, Ike Wilson, Ian Adamson, Karen Lundgren and Paul Romero of Team Pharmanex limp to the jeepney* and catch a ride down town to the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office. They have just placed second in The Elf Authentic Adventure race, competing for 11 consecutive days. Now, sore to the bone, their feet infected, the members of Team Pharmanex Epinephrine are performing their cultural exchange project, a requirement of participation in Gérard Fusil's new race, The Elf Authentic Adventure.

At the modest office in the sweltering heat they help screen candidates for reparative surgeries ranging from cleft palates to artificial limbs. The teammates hand out coloring books, talk to children and their parents, and help organizers take down information about the candidates, who come from the outlying villages on the island of Leyte. Medical needs are high in Leyte and medical assistance is scarce. "For me it (the exchange project) was one of the highlights of the whole race," said Salt Lake City's Ike Wilson. "In fact, Ian and I are planning on doing more of this kind of work together in the future." Pharmanex, Wilson's sponsor, works with the Mabuhay Deseret Foundation, the group spearheading the project in the Philippines.

Cynics consider exchange projects at adventure races to be nothing more than politically-motivated PR moves, photo ops with no lasting impact. Proponents herald them as necessary, obligatory aspects of adventure racing. And of course some people, racers in particular, fall somewhere in the middle, viewing the complexities of organizing exchange projects as a burden when coupled with the details already required of organizing a week-long expedition adventure race. Still, if people like Gérard Fusil have anything to say about it, the cultural exchange project is a permanent, and crucial, part of the adventure race.

"In every race there are certain elements: competition, excitement, problem solving...a community faces these same elements..."
—Alan Bishop, Team Raven Wolf

The Elf Authentic Adventure added the Cultural Exchange Trophy Project for the inaugural 1999 event. A bold and interesting addition to his expedition experience philosophy, each team had to complete within 30 days of the race's conclusion a cultural exchange project "deemed worthy of merit" by an elite Exchange Trophy Jury. The exchange could be cultural, scientific, sports related, or humanitarian. Gérard Fusil, race founder and organizer, views this project as vital, equally important as the race itself.

"Other races are too much only about competition. Some racers, I'm not quite sure they even know in what country they were," states Fusil. "This was not what I wanted to do when I envisioned this race—I wanted to enhance the personal exchange with the country. It is not so nice to just come to a country, make sport, and then leave. I felt obliged to give something back to the hosting countries we are visiting."

The projects ranged from quite simple and very human to elaborate, well-funded scientific pursuits like the one sponsored by Pharmanex. In the middle, teams supplied dental care products, life vests, and some worked on sanitation systems.

Clotilde Malatbalat, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer of the island of Leyte, said that she and the entire Philippine government are very excited and enthusiastic about the project performed by Pharmanex. Her office in Tacloban city, a small one-story building, cooled only by ceiling fans, held the initial screenings of candidates. "This is the very first time for a project of this magnitude for the Province of Leyte. It is a very good project, as we are targeting the indigent and the needy from outlying villages. The benefits for those selected will go far beyond the physical—making more positive the self image of the children, how they think about themselves."

Wilson, team captain of Pharmanex Epinephrine, agrees with Fusil's vision, adding "adventure racers as a demographic are financially solvent—we have a duty, a responsibility, to engage in philanthropic exchange whenever possible. I think the exchange project adds a very interesting, meaningful, and positive wrinkle to the race."

A less lofty but equally human exchange was that of Team Quebec Aventure, who brought along with them the hilarious and magnetic Monsieur Jacko, a wiry, lanky, bleach-blonde, world-traveling professional clown. Monsieur Jacko is the creator of the group "Clowns sans Frontieres," (Clowns without Borders). He and his 15 year old son traveled with the team's support crew, performing in villages all along the way, juggling, doing tricks, making people laugh. Jacko said "when we leave, the people will remember us, our humor, our human side. They will know us as more than a sports team running off in the distance—they will come to know us for who we are as people. And hopefully, we will come to know them too."

Service projects like this are not new to the sport. In fact, Mark Burnett of the Eco-Challenge has been working with Clean Up the World, an international organization dedicated to involving individuals at the local level. Competitors, race staff and organizers have participated in tree plantings and trash pickups, and another event is scheduled this year for the race in Argentina. By comparison, these events are quick hits, lasting hours instead of the days or weeks or months that are required of the Elf Authentic Adventure. Still, the gesture and commitment are there.

"I felt obliged to give something back to the hosting countries we are visiting..." — Gérard Fusil, Elf Authentic Adventure Race Founder

One racer from British Columbia, Alan Bishop, first participated in service projects at the Eco-Challenge and is now very much dedicated to them. For Bishop, these opportunities are an extension of his daily professional life, and he sees the adventure racing population as perfect candidates to give something of themselves other than sweat and blood on the course.

"For the most part, athletes who go to these races are a pretty amazing group of folks. The diversity of careers and professions that are represented by racers is unique to this sport. Providing an opportunity for these people to help a community is important, but it has to be done in a good way."

Bishop and his team RavenWolf had a team organized for the Elf race, and were set to go, very excited about the cultural exchange aspect of the race. They had planned an extensive, well-developed project for the event, one which would take six weeks to complete. The project, according to Bishop, was designed to "provide leadership and skill-training opportunities for youth populations and community members for the geographic areas touched on by the Elf Authentic Adventure." Alas, it was not to be. Sponsorship money fell through, and RavenWolf was forced to abandon its dream to travel to the Philippines. Though a loss for RavenWolf (and for the race organizer as well as the Philippine communities targeted) Bishop chose not to let this minor setback deter him from his goals.

"I want to be a catalyst," he says. "A facilitator. I provide ideas and opportunities for a particular project, then leave the ownership to the communities." At The Beast, the big US race in Giles County, VA, Bishop held a public forum with key people from the community, playing off an already existing Youth and Adult Partnership. One of the specific needs that surfaced from these discussions was the desire for a youth-based activity center. Says Bishop, "Apparently, before these meetings the adults weren't really listening to the voices of the youths. But we got them heard, and the kids were able to elaborate what they really wanted—the development of a skateboard, in-line skate, and BMX park. Now that project is underway, and I have continued to work with the leaders of Giles County by sending them information from a new skate park here in BC."

So successful was the project, and so excited by it was Bishop, that he has vowed to put on an exchange/community service project at every major race he participates in, whether the organization requires it or not. At The Beast, RavenWolf's was the only exchange project.

Bishop has truly found a way to blend his adventure racing lifestyle with his professional goals. Clear back at the BC Eco-Challenge in 1996, Bishop became involved by volunteering to work (he ran Transition Area Two); he also brought along 10 local high school students who worked at the BC Eco-Challenge as volunteers. So positive was his experience that he formed a team of his own for the 1997 Eco-Challenge in Australia, and Team RavenWolf was conceived. Says Bishop, "I started the team after my experience as a volunteer at the 1996 BC Eco. I felt that exposing young people to this event would be a great plus for our club, but also a great bonus for the Eco-Challenge organization, too."

His principles have proved visionary, at least in the case of Jonathan Duncan, one of the students he brought on at the BC Eco-Challenge. Since that time, Duncan has been to the Eco-Challenges in Australia, Morocco, and is going to this year's Eco-Challenge in Patagonia, Argentina. He has also made outdoor leadership a part of his life, creating his own guiding company.

Says Bishop, "It is really exciting to see the outdoors become a huge part of someone's life. I enjoy being part of that process."

Bishop feels deeply about this relationship. He adds, "I view expedition style adventure racing as a powerful metaphor for youth community development." His goal over time is to take his adventure racing expertise and experience to the schools, using his leadership, public speaking, and organizational skills to create discussion forums and to inject aspects of adventure racing into high school and college curricula.

Bishop explains, "In every race there are certain elements present: competition, excitement, problem solving, communication, conflict, goal setting, teamwork...the list goes on. In any project that a community faces these same elements are present. When we race, the experience is so powerful; for some athletes, it overpowers them, it breaks them down to their core. For others they experience such amazing success — all of this can be presented to groups of people who can relate this experience to what is happening in their own community."

It remains to be seen whether any of these projects have lasting impacts, either for the communities they touch or for the people who perform them. One thing seems certain, with organizers like Fusil continuing to raise the bar, the exchange project is likely to become imbedded, an expected part of the adventure race as standard as the entry fee.

And for the privileged racers, event organizers and media, it really is the very least they can do.

— Buddy Levy, MountainZone.com Correspondent

*From Tanikalang Ginto: "Thanks to Filipino ingenuity, some innovative Filipinos decided to modify the Jeep. They extended the body 3-4 times the original length and put padded seats on each side running lengthwise. With the modification in place, eight to 10 medium-sized passengers can sit comfortably at the back. The front seat was also modified to accommodate three people. While the original version of the jeepney was bare and dull to the eyes, modern jeepneys now sport very colorful and intricate paintings, fancy adornments, and metallic decors reflective of Filipino sentiments, values, and culture. The designs are totally unique. It was said that no two jeepneys are alike."