During one week, the European Football Champion Inka Grings, the DTM pilot Martin Tomcyz, the moderator Shary Reeves and the actors Hannes Jaenicke, Andreas Hoppe, Andrea Lüdke competed in northern Canada in a unique extreme sporting event at temperatures down to minus 50 degrees.

Since 2001, Fulda, the German tire maker, has organized this extreme sporting event in the Yukon, a region in the north of Canada. The Fulda Challenge started in Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon, where 24 000 of the 30 000 residents of this region is living. The rest of the population is spread over an area that is a total of 1.5 times as large as Germany.

The anniversary edition led the 20 competitors through endless snowy and icy highway to the Arctic Circle. On the way, the athletes had to demonstrate their strengths in various competitions.

In addition to driving skills (race with the VW Tiguan and Skidoo), the participants had to show endurance (half-marathon and snowshoeing), as well as force capabilities (Car Pulling and hacksaw contest). And this, with temperatures, which were rarely superior to minus 30 degrees.

The last day of the competitions the two games were hold in the Olympic city of Vancouver and this with almost spring-like temperatures. But even there, the reputation of the Fulda Challenge as a extreme winter adventure was justify. Swimming and kayak races took place in a cold water of six degrees.

Particularly the swimming competition was hard. Some athletes had to abandon, like the actress Andrea Lüdke.  She announced after the water rescue team brought her back to the shore : "I am a princess, I had to be rescued".

The kayak race was not easier at all. And especially, due to strong currents in the bay. Martin Tomczyk, who reached the fourth position, was nonetheless impressed: "This calls every muscle in your upper body. For me as racer that is the perfect training. So one thing I will definitely do by my own."

Sven Brust finished these 2 games at the first position and he is the winner of the competition for the men category. "When I got the invitation to the Fulda Challenge, I could not imagine how difficult it actually is. Participation was a huge experience. I'll never forget

The winner for the women category is Sabine Fremerey.

As Sabine Fremerey and Sven Brust were part of the same team,  they won also the team category. Of course, the award, being in this previous gold-rush country, is a gold nugget. The 2 winners received this prize from the organizers. 

For more information on the event and copyright free images, please visit our dedicated Fulda challenge website www.fulda-challenge.com