Jarad Kohlar

Here are the reason why I enjoy the Otway Adventure Race:

1. Location- Apollo Bay is the Byron Bay of Victoria (it's what Byron Bay was like 15-20 years ago)
2. The course – all legs are roughly even in time, all legs require skill as well as fitness.
3. Best descents on the MTB in any adventure race I have ever done.
4. Postcard views on the run, MTB and kayak stages.
5. True adventure race and community feel to this event.
6. Kayak course is in the open ocean and mostly down wind in a sheltered bay.
7. Run course is very technical with sand, rock and tight ferny trail running sections.
8. If you are organized and don’t have a support you can still race and your overall time will not be effected.

Jarad Kohlar is an elite adventure
racing athlete, and has won the
Otway Adventure Race and the
Champion of Champions every
year since it started.

Mark Thompson is now a regular
swimmer in the Great Ocean
Swim. His determination and
achievement is oustanding. 

Mark Thompson

I have always been a high achiever in any sport and it has always required a team effort. My interests were yachting, judo, tennis and ballroom dancing.

Now that I am disabled, due to a yachting accident in Bass Strait which left me with an acquired brain injury, it takes a lot more organization, it is still a team effort and I am still setting and achieving goals.

The thought of ocean swimming presented me with a huge challenge, so in 1998 I set a goal to swim one. But first I had to overcome my fear of water and learned to swim in a YMCA pool with the help of my team of family, friends and lifeguards. I trained hard until I could eventually swim 100 laps of the heated 25metre pool, non-stop in a wetsuit.

Later in the year when the outdoor pools opened, I continued training in the cold water. Then I went to an indoor wave-pool to become familiar with the pull of the water. I swam my first ocean race in 2000. This was quite an accomplishment for me. After completing several other coastal races over the next few years, I set another goal to enter Apollo Bay.

I wrote to the organizers who were very encouraging, then entered and completed my first Apollo Bay swim in 2006. Lifeguards were very helpful pushing me in one of the clubs four brand new beach wheelchairs over the sand to the start line and ensuring my safe entry into the water and were there at the finish too.

I always feel safe in the water with up and coming lifeguards around on surfboards and in life boats. These very alert young lifeguards are an asset to the Apollo Bay SLSC. They made sure the wheelchair was waiting at the finish line then my team pushed me to an accessible change-room with hot running water, peeled my wetsuit off and showered me.

My goal is always to finish the race no matter how long it takes and I always achieve my goals. I can’t do the swims without a team and that includes the lifeguards. They make the difference in whether or not I, with a disability, can participate in ocean swims. It’s a fantastic experience and I’m looking forward to my fourth Apollo Bay swim in 2010.

With the teams help I am still a high achiever.

Sam Maffett

I really enjoyed my participation in the two Great Ocean Sports Festivals I have been part of. The event is run with a friendly, low key spirit that puts a smile on your face as soon as you roll up.

The landscapes around Apollo Bay are picturesque and the races lead you to some truly magical places. When the day is done you’ll probably find yourself with a broad smile on your face, kicking back with a beer in your hand with a bunch of new mates sharing tales of adventure and heroics from a memorable weekend.

If you want a follow up to the Anaconda Adventure Race, a break from your summer routines or just another excuse to return to the Otways and drive down the Great Ocean Road then I would certainly recommend the Great Ocean Sports Festival.

Sam Maffett, General Manager Rapid Ascent.