Grayson Mendenhall Chancellor | Student Development Beat
Appalachian
State University Outdoor Programs is offering students and faculty
a chance to test their leadership and teamwork skills in the Appalachian
Adventure Challenge (AAC) April 5.
The AAC is an adventure race that will take place at State Farm
Field. The coed teams will be limited to three members each.
“Adventure racing is a multi-disciplined sport encompassing
many different things,” race director Andrew Miller said.
The race will be broken up into sections, each involving different
skills.
The events will consist of running, canoeing, orienteering, mountain
biking and an obstacle course, Miller said. Until the day of the
race, the specifics of each event will be kept secret from the teams.
“The teams will only learn about the specifics of the course
right at the start,” Miller said. The race will not only test
the teams’ physical abilities but their mental abilities as
well.
Teams must learn to effectively work together in order to complete
each section of the race.
“Part of the challenge is working together and overcoming obstacles,”
race coordinator Dave Hutchinson said.
The unique nature of the race will force each member to focus on
not only their own performance but their fellow team members’
performances as well. Learning efficient group dynamics is essential
to completing the race.
“There’s a different type of work and communication that
goes into a sport like this,” Miller said. In order for each
team to complete the race, all members must make it to the finish
line, he said.
If the race attracts a lot of participants, Appalachian Outdoor
Programs will plan future adventure races.
“We’d love for this to be a catalyst for helping create
an Adventure Racing club team,” race coordinator Rich Campbell
said.
Appalachian could eventually challenge other schools in an adventure
race. The race is also a way to make more students aware of Appalachian
Outdoor Programs and their activities.
“We want to promote our own programs, but it also sounds like
a lot of fun,” Hutchinson said.
“The race will be unique for people who want to be competitive,”
Campbell said.
