For tenacious trio George Rookes, Guy Roadley, and Beau Armstrong, riding alongside an All Blacks legend, defying a cracked hull, and dodging boulders – both on land and in the water – all heightened their resolve to pedal, paddle, and pound their way to a podium finish in the 2023 Coast to Coast.
A s George Rookes geared up for the 55-kilometre cycle stage following the start of the legendary Coast to Coast multi-sport race in February at Kumara Beach, the Year 13 College cyclist glanced at his rivals. He quickly encountered some stern faces, perplexed to see youth in the hardened ranks. However, the man next to George was welcoming and relaxed. As George powered off on the early leg of the gruelling two-day, three- person team event, he soon found that he had a supporter alongside – All Blacks legend Richie McCaw. “We both tore along the first 55km stage in the front bunch. We started with a group of 12 riders but dropped a few along the way to come into the transition (Aickens Corner) to the mountain leg with only about seven riders,” George says. “I was working hard to set up a strong start to the endurance race for my teammates, team captain and organiser Guy Roadley and Beau Armstrong, and I was well prepared for the ride.” The Coast to Coast traverses the width of the South Island, crossing the main divide and navigating torturous terrain. Off-
trail slogs, multiple river crossings, breath-taking mountain climbs, and ragged descents are all part of the harsh multi-sport event that takes competitors across the Southern Alps and onto the Canterbury Plains towards the finish on the sands of New Brighton Beach. George’s exceptional effort did the job, powering his team to one of the best spots in the 1,333-strong field at the end of the initial cycle leg following a one-hour, 32-minute ride. From there, Beau took up the strain, navigating the hazard-filled terrain while boulder hopping and wading through rivers to keep the College team on course. Running up mountains, scrambling across rocks, and sliding down to the Canterbury Plains, Beau set a powerful pace on his 33km mountain run. From nimble steps to sheer leaps of faith, he covered stage two of the race – over Goat’s Pass – in four hours and 23 minutes. “You try to push yourself to go harder and faster and also push through the pain barrier,” Beau says. “You get into your own rhythm and mental zone where you are aware of people around
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