Nathan Fa’avae, Sophie Hart, Chris Fome and Trevor Voyce were on fire from the moment the start gun went off in Milford Sound in the early hours of Monday morning. By the first afternoon of the race, the team were neck an neck with Team Subway led by Richard Ussher but they managed to shake them off on the first night and never looked back from there.

Orion Health GODZone Adventure Race directors Warren Bates and Adam Fairmaid picked them as the ones to beat and Adam says the team stuck to their race plan from the very start.

“ They raced with determination and confidence, playing a waiting game and believing they could run away from the field as the race went on which is exactly as it played out. They are extremely fit, have one of the best navigators in the world and technically very skilled. They primarily work as a team which is what this sport is all about.”

Team Seagate paddled into Queenstown Bay before running through the resorts streets to arrive at the Queenstown Primary School finish line to a resounding welcome from friends, family and race organisers. Nathan Fa’avae thanked everyone for their support.

“ It was a race that inspired us through the ruggedness of the course which we had to overcome to get to the finish line. It’s probably not the easiest way to travel from Milford to Queenstown but it did give us a lot of opportunity to use the skills of the team.”

He thanked the race directors Adam Fairmaid and Warren Bates for creating a real challenge and said a lot of races these days were quite sterile so it was great to have an event that pushed the boundaries.

“ We have a lot of respect for the other teams racing and praise for all the officials out on the course who were very friendly and helpful. Now its time to get out of these wet clothes and enjoy some hot food and reflect on our win.”

The team claims as their prize a free entry into the 2013 Orion Health GODZone Adventure and an entry into Adventure Racing World Champs to be held in the French Alps later this year. Warren Bates says its a great finish to the first race put on by 100% PURE Racing and Team Seagate sets the standard for future events.

“A lot of Kiwis have had to sit on the side line and watch these guys race around the world over the past seven years without a race of their own to compete in. When the teams and spectators reflect on their performance they may have a clear understanding of just how good these guys are.

Team Seagate have set the benchmark incredibly high but hopefully that will prove to be an inspiration for all future competitors. They will definitely be the team to beat next year but we are almost certain that everyone will lift their game.”

Teams will continue to travel to the finish line through until the official end on Saturday 2.00pm. Live coverage continues at http://live.godzoneadventure.com/

Margo Berryman – Media Liaison
+64 (0) 21 246 3342 – margo@qt.co.nz

Adam Fairmaid – Race Director
+64 (0) 27 444 9280

Warren Bates – Race Director
+64 (0) 27 514 8100

Anna Bastin – Race Manager
+64 (0) 27 441 8004

Race HQ – 027 922 2892

Amongst the 31 teams completing registrations and gear checks today are international competitors representing Malaysia, Singapore, Ireland, Sweden and Australia with New Zealanders making up the bulk of field with twenty teams.

Official event clothing sponsor Macpac have supplied the Orion Health GODZone race management, officials and film crew with Macpac gear to wear throughout the event and Macpac director, Campbell Junor, says he’s is looking forward to the race start.

“Macpac are gearing up for an exciting event and will be watching the dots for Team Macpac GOT in particular and also Team Subway with Sam Clark, another of Macpac’s brand ambassadors. The Macpac Amp pack range is proving to be the pack choice for many, which is great to see as expedition style adventure racing is exactly what it’s designed for.”

Macpac is widely regarded as New Zealand’s pre-eminent outdoor clothing and equipment brand and Orion Health GODZone race director Adam Fairmaid says the brand is the perfect for the first expedition style adventure race to be held in the country for more than 20 years.

Macpac is widely regarded as New Zealand’s pre-eminent outdoor clothing and equipment brand and Orion Health GODZone race director Adam Fairmaid says the brand is the perfect for the first expedition style adventure race to be held in the country for more than 20 years. Macpac will be posting regular updates in stores throughout the country and the Queenstown store will be on the pulse with updates and leader boards if people are passing through.

This premier, unsupported, expedition style adventure race will run for six days and nights travelling continuously throughout the Southern Lakes region. Top level teams from as far afield as Australia, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, Malaysia, Denmark, Ireland, Britain and Germany will arrive in the resort over Easter weekend in preparation for team registration, briefings and gear checks.

Title sponsors, Orion Health, are New Zealand’s largest software exporter and a supplier of healthcare solutions globally. Orion Health Executive Vice President – Hospital Solutions, Wayne Oxenham, says it’s an exciting countdown to race start.

“ We are very excited to be involved with bringing adventure racing back to New Zealand at this premier level and the interest from top international teams travelling here to compete has been really impressive.

From a global and national perspective, this event will create the kind of media exposure that helps to facilitate brand recognition for our company but also create a general buzz for New Zealand’s stunning natural landscapes.”

Orion Health was recently awarded the Supreme Award at the 2012 New Zealand International Business Awards as well as winners of their category, Best Business Operating Internationally – over $50 million. The company that was launched back in 1993 with just three staff today employs more than 600, across fourteen offices, in nine countries.

“ As a New Zealand owned and operated company we have experienced rapid growth across the international information technology sector but our brand name is only still becoming known here. Events like the Orion Health GODZone Adventure will help to grow the awareness of Orion Health as a business leader.”

The innovative Kiwi health technology company has also sponsored a team in the event which is being led by Mr Oxenham alongside three female team members, Lisa Godfrey, Sarah Clark and Sonya Clark.

“ We all come from adventure racing backgrounds but for this event we are just going out to have some fun. I was lucky enough to be asked to join these girls who are a good bunch of mates and expect there are going to be a lot of laughs along the way.”
ENDS

Photo Caption: The Orion Health team took home the Supreme Award at the 2012 New Zealand International Business Awards as well as winners of their category, Best Business Operating Internationally – over $50 million.

About GODZone Adventure
GODZone Adventure race is the first unsupported (no support crews) expedition style, adventure race to be held in New Zealand since the world’s inaugural event, the Raid Gauloises, 22 years ago. The major new event has been invited to join the Adventure Racing World Championships (ARWC), which is the annual culmination of an international circuit of premiere adventure races in 10 countries forming the Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS).
http://www.godzoneadventure.com

About Orion Health Ltd
Orion Health™ is the leading Health Information Exchange (HIE) and Electronic Health Record (EHR) solution provider with expertise in clinical workflow and integration technology for the healthcare sector. Orion Health’s easy-to-use solutions and applications improve patient care and clinical decision making by enabling the exchange of healthcare information among disparate systems and providing integrated health data in a single, unified view. By extending existing healthcare information systems, the Orion Health™ Rhapsody™ Integration Engine and workflow solutions provide healthcare workers with easy access to patient data and trends, and reduce errors and omissions by streamlining information transfer. More information can be found at http://www.orionhealth.com

For media enquires please contact:
GODZone Adventure
Margo Berryman – Media Liaison
+64 (0) 21 246 3342
margo@qt.co.nz

Orion Health
Sarah Hansen – Marketing Co-coordinator
+64 (0) 21 812 071
sarah.hansen@orionhealth.com <sarah.hansen@orionhealth.com>

RUGBY PLAYERS ASSOCIATION AND SPORTING STARS TAKE ON CHALLENGE FOR NATION’S KIDS

‘HOUSE OF TRAVEL RACING FOR STARSHIP’ AT ORION HEALTH GODZONE ADVENTURE 

A team from the New Zealand Rugby Players Association in conjunction with select sporting stars will fundraise for the national children’s hospital Starship in the 2012 Orion Health GODZone Adventure.

The event is an expedition-style adventure race taking place in Queenstown this Easter (7-14 April).  The race traverses a distance of approximately 500km taking most participants around four to five days to complete.  Teams, who must remain together at all times, will be expected to navigate, trek, mountain bike and kayak on a non-stop basis over a vast array of different landscapes testing the mental and physical skills of participants.

House of Travel in conjunction with The New Zealand Rugby Players Association has put together the four-person ‘House of Travel Racing for Starship’ team to compete. The team comprises of ex-Blues and New Zealand Maori player David Gibson, current Black Fern Huriana Manuel, ex-Blues player Ben Meyer and Rugby Players Association CEO, Rob Nichol.

Other well known sporting stars and faces will join them for various legs of the race.  All Black and current Sky rugby presenter Ian Jones is the first confirmed to join the team for the early stages of the race with others to be announced over the coming weeks. The team will be racing under the House of Travel and Starship Foundation banners aiming to raise funds for Starship’s National Air Ambulance Service.

Year-round the Air Ambulance Service rushes medical experts to life-threatening emergencies around the country where they stabilise children and allow them to be brought safely to Starship to receive care. The Starship Foundation raises the $1.5 million needed annually for this vital service, which includes staff training, and aviation costs.

The costs of the ‘House of Travel Racing for Starship’ team are being covered by the Rugby Players Association meaning all funds raised go directly to Starship. Corporate sponsorships have kick-started the much needed funds that will also support Starship’s National Air Ambulance Service.

House of Travel is the exclusive gold sponsor of the team with Skoda New Zealand first on board as a silver sponsor and MoleMap New Zealand, a bronze sponsor. Over the next several weeks the team will focus on getting other corporate and business partners on board to support the cause.

The general public is being encouraged to support the team and Starship by visiting its fundraising page at www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/godzone or by texting STAR to 469 to make an automatic $3 donation.

Orion Health GODZone Adventure Co Race Director Adam Fairmaid says the team will bring a celebrity twist to the event. “It’s awesome that these guys are willing to step up to the challenge of the adventure and at the same time raise money for such a worthy cause as our Starship children. We always planned to include a celebrity/charity element to the event and the Rugby Players Association has been inspirational in pulling together a team for a really good cause.”

Friends of Starship Chair Gretchen Hawkesby says the Friends of Starship are thrilled to be associated with the challenge that the Orion Health GODZone Adventure represents.
“The competitors all know and take considerable inspiration from the past and future Starship Air Ambulance patients and their families.  We wish the ‘House of Travel Racing for Starship’ team a safe and speedy completion of the event.  We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association’s dedication to this cause, and we hope that the rest of New Zealand will share in their enthusiasm.”

To support the House of Travel Racing for Starship team and donate to Starship visit www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/godzone or text STAR to 469 to make an automatic $3 donation.

For more information please contact:
Margo Berryman
Ph: 021 246 3342
margo@qt.co.nz    `
www.godzoneadventure.com
Andrea Newland
Starship Foundation
Ph: 027 688 3100
anewland@adhb.govt.nz

About Orion Health Ltd
Orion Health™ is the leading Health Information Exchange (HIE) and Electronic Health Record (EHR) solution provider with expertise in clinical workflow and integration technology for the healthcare sector. Orion Health’s easy-to-use solutions and applications improve patient care and clinical decision making by enabling the exchange of healthcare information among disparate systems and providing integrated health data in a single, unified view. By extending existing healthcare information systems, the Orion Health™ Rhapsody™ Integration Engine and workflow solutions provide healthcare workers with easy access to patient data and trends, and reduce errors and omissions by streamlining information transfer. More information can be found at http://www.orionhealth.com

About Starship Foundation
The Starship Foundation raises funds so Starship Children’s Health can better care for New Zealand’s children. Donations are an extra to Government funding and provide a variety of initiatives such as new technology, vital research, boosted family support and preventative programmes. As a charitable organisation, Starship Foundation exists through the generosity of the New Zealand public who lovingly donate money and/or time to assist in making Starship a world class medical facility.  Starship Children’s Health cares for nearly 120,000 children from around the country each year. New Zealanders can support these children by donating to the Starship Foundation on 09 307 4957 or on-line www.starship.org.nz/foundation

Leading New Zealand adventure racers, Richard and Elina Ussher, who made history this weekend as the first couple ever to win the Coast to Coast longest day category in the same year, will be the headlining team at the Orion Health GODZone Adventure in Queenstown this Easter.

New Zealand’s first true expedition race in 22 years has attracted a strong showing of top adventure racing teams from around the world with 40% of the field international.
Team Subway Adventure Sport led by Richard Ussher  including Elina Ussher, Braden Currie and Sam Clarke will be serious contenders against key teams from New Zealand, Australia and Europe.

As a member of the GODZone Adventure advisory board alongside other sporting legends Steve Gurney, Wayne Oxenham and Keith Murray, Richard Ussher is excited about top level adventure racing returning to New Zealand.

“From what I have heard about this new event, it sounds like we will be in for a real treat come April this year. New Zealand has a proud tradition of adventure racing and hopefully this race will be inspirational to a new generation.”

With just one day until entries close to the inaugural event details have been released about the current line-up of teams. Ten nations are represented in the field line up from New Zealand, Australia, Europe, North America and Asia  with the largest number outside of Kiwi teams being Australian.

This includes highly experienced Kiwi team, Seagate, led by past Adventure Racing World Champion Nathan Faavae with Sophie Hart, Chris Forne and Trevor Voyce.  Naming sponsors Orion Health’s Adventure team has a strong competitive background with Lisa Godfrey, Sarah and Sonya Clarke being led by Wayne Oxenham and Queenstown team R&R Sport see local racers Haydn Key and Baz Smith join up with Mat Woods and team leader, Fleur Pawsey.

The Australian contingent is led by elite racing entry, Team Blackheart.com  with Rob Preston at the helm and there is a smattering of mixed teams with representation from Singapore, Malaysia, Denmark, Ireland, Britain and Germany.

Orion Health GODZone Adventure Co Race Director, Warren Bates, says the calibre of racers is second to none and impressive for the events first year.

“The international teams are so keen to compete in this country and while some will just be hoping to make it across the finish line, I think we will have a real race on our hands with the top teams that have entered.”

Entries to the 2012 Orion Health GODZone Adventure close at 9am on the 14th February.

For more information visit http://www.godzoneadventure.com  or http://www.facebook.com/godzoneadventure

A full list of registered teams can be found at http://www.godzoneadventure.com/team-list/

For more information please contact:
Media Liaison
Margo Berryman
Ph: 021 246 3342
margo@qt.co.nz         `
www.godzoneadventure.com

Please find your media accreditation application attached. Only accredited media will be granted access to the competitor and media briefings, start and finish areas and athlete and race directors interviews. Fill in the form and send it back before the 27th of February, 2012. http://www.godzoneadventure.com/

Best regards
Margo

Margo Berryman
GODZone Adventure Media
email: margo@qt.co.nz
PH: 64 3 442 6244
MOB: 021 246 3342

ORION HEALTH GODZONE ADVENTURE FILMED FOR WORLDWIDE BROADCAST

New Zealand’s newest adventure race, the Orion Health GODZONE Adventure, being held over Easter 2012, has been chosen as one of six leading expedition races in the world to be filmed for global broadcast.

The very best adventure racing athletes and their teams all vying to win the Adventure Racing World Series Championships for 2012 will be the focus of a new 24 part series to be filmed in HD (high definition). The production company behind the filming is Australian based, Nothin but Shorts, with the series sanctioned by AR World Series Director, Craig Bycroft.

Global broadcasts of the new series will begin on the Outdoor Channel screening throughout Asia from the 1st February, 2012 followed by Fox Sports in Australia and other broadcast partners Qantas In-flight, BSkyB in the UK and Europe, USA and South America.

The first race in the series will showcase the epic XPD Expedition race held in the brutal and remote Tasmanian west coast in Australia late last year.  High performance adventure racing teams are now heading to Ecuador where tropical rain forests and high altitude will test their limits in the Huairasinchi ARW event where filming will occur next.

The Orion Health GODZone Adventure based out of Queenstown will be the third challenge in the series with a chance for domestic and international teams to experience New Zealand’s back country, the original birthplace of adventure racing.

Orion Health GODZone Co-Director, Adam Fairmaid, says the race will not only be filmed as part of the global series but the four half hour episodes will also be broadcast on New Zealand’s Sky Sports Channels.

“This really represents a unique opportunity to show why New Zealand, in some ways, represents the pinnacle of adventure travel. Viewers will watch some of the world’s toughest athletes explore some wonderful locations, and all in glorious HD.

Couple that with a lack of sleep, mental and physical hardship and you have a recipe for compelling viewing. We’re absolutely delighted to be part of the new adventure series.”

To find out more about Orion Health GODZone Adventure visit www.godzoneadventure.com or http://www.facebook.com/godzoneadventure

A ‘Wild Racers’ Teaser can be viewed online at http://vimeo.com/32248088

For more information please contact:
Media Liaison
Margo Berryman
Ph: 021 246 3342
www.godzoneadventure.com <http://www.godzoneadventure.com>

AR World Series Director
Craig Bycroft
craig@arworldseries.com

Series Director for Broadcast
Anthony Gordon
anthony@nothinbutshorts.com.au