Adventure racer and multisport competitor Sophie Hart was looking for something to keep her going when she heard about the Yukon 1000.

Having opted to take a break from adventure racing, the former Ōhope woman wasn’t ready to completely shut up shop and the 1000-plus miles kayak voyage from Canada to Alaska seemed the perfect replacement.

Nathan Faavae was equally enthusiastic.

Fast forward and the pair won the race, completing the distance in six days and 27 minutes, the second fastest time ever.

It’s an achievement Hart is proud of.

“It was a really great event to be part of. A bucket list sort of a thing.

“It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve done mentally.

“It was a challenge maintaining motivation throughout the 18-hour days where there’s not necessarily any end-point other than just getting to 10.30pm at night and being able to stop.

“I think we did pretty well at this, tapping into our adventure racing experience and using various strategies to stay engaged and focused.”

Hart, who is a GP in Blenheim and lives in Havelock, said their focus was to just to race well and be competitive.

“We knew if we had a good solid race, we’d be competitive. But in the days leading up to the race, I started to feel a bit less confident. It was noticeable to me the lack of female competitors.

“In a sport like kayaking, where its largely strength based, I felt as if we were the underdogs being a mixed team, competing directly against the men’s teams.

“However, it makes winning and getting the second-fastest time ever even more satisfying.

“Especially given we had more challenging conditions compared to previous years with low water levels and headwinds.”

The pair were less than three hours off the race record, set in 2022.

In the race, they were up against 23 others. Most were from the United States or United Kingdom, although there were a couple other New Zealand teams and one from Portugal.

It’s the sort of race that isn’t for the faint hearted.

According to the website, Yukon 1000 challengers must have the physical and mental fortitude to cope with the staggering feat of paddling 18 hours a day; just to complete the race. Completely self-sufficient, teams sleep rough where they stop, and in extreme cases must be able to survive in true wilderness.

Hart said Faavae and herself were wanting a challenge having stepped away from adventure racing.

“We’ve done a lot of adventure racing together over the years. The last race we did, we both sort of decided that would be the last.

“But for me, it’s been such a huge part of my life, and it leaves a big void. Although having a break from adventure racing felt like the right thing, I wasn’t ready to stop altogether.

“I’ve always really enjoyed kayak training and this event felt like it was a perfect substitute to fill the gap.”

Throughout the paddle, teams get the chance to experience wildlife in their natural habitat.

“We saw two bears, which was really special. It was perfect given we were safely paddling past in the kayak and they were on the shore.

“We also saw quite a few moose. They were a highlight. Particularly when we were woken up by three moose stomping around outside our tent.

“We also saw a lot of eagles and beavers.”

Much like Godzone and the other adventure races, there were plenty of challenging aspects, Hart said.

“As is often the case, there were a lot of hard moments and times where really the only thing I wanted to do was stop paddling. But time is a mysterious thing and like many of these events, the race has become more enjoyable in the days since I’ve finished.

“It’s hard to compare how it ranks compared to the other events I’ve done. Certainly, getting the second-fastest time ever feels like an achievement. I think it will probably take a bit of time to digest fully.”

It was a trip to the Ōhōpe Chartered Club one night years ago that fuelled her to give adventure racing a crack.

“I was inspired listening to Neil Jones give a talk … Hearing about him racing through caves in Borneo sounded so epic and intrepid. Mum talked me into doing my first Monty’s Revenge, even though I’d never really kayaked and then that led to the Coast to Coast, and things kind of snowballed from there.”

She learned the art of paddling at the Whakatāne Surf Lifesaving Club alongside New Zealand’s best short-form paddler and Olympic champion, Lisa Carrington.

These days, Hart trains in the Pelorus Sounds.

She enjoys the challenge of epic adventure races; covering distance and terrain that seems crazy on paper.

“It’s hard to describe the satisfaction of finishing and being able to stop after days on the go.

“A huge part of it has been my team. I’ve been so lucky to be part of such a successful team and we enjoy racing together, which has made it all the more rewarding.”

Hart said her body felt fine following the race.

“It was surprisingly good, actually. No real injuries. Just still catching up on a bit of sleep.”

She’s been competing for well over a decade now.

“My first 24-hour race was when I was about 20, and my first expedition race was in 2010.”

As for what’s next, for many you could almost say something harder than her race, a school fundraiser.