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How did you first hear about the Amazon Canoe / SUP Challenge ? Caz : I came across the Amazon Challenge on social media .
Jon : Caz told me to do it !
Matt : Facebook during its first year , but I already had commitments . Then Caz twisted my arm when we were paddling together in Albania .
Can you let the readers know how you prepared for this challenge physically and mentally ? Caz : My preparation for the challenge didn ’ t go as planned ! I broke my ankle in October ( just a week after I signed up ). Then , three weeks before heading out to Peru , I became very sick with biliary sepsis , and I ended up having emergency surgery to remove my gallbladder . The doctors recommended I postpone the challenge , but I was determined to bounce back and give it my all . Between injuries and illness , I spent a lot of time in the gym and also took part in the SUP Twelve and Spey Challenges .
Jon : We did a lot of training at the gym . Caz would make me get up at 06:30 . We would go to the gym and start work . We would push ourselves further with bigger and heavier kit on our boards to ensure we were mentally and physically prepared for a challenge of this scale . We also entered a couple of races and challenges to make sure we were battle-hardened .
Matt : I kept working as an expedition leader in NZ . I pushed onto some other highergrade rivers and got out on the board as much as possible .
“ We would push ourselves further with bigger and heavier kit on our boards to ensure we were mentally and physically prepared for a challenge of this scale .”
Did the Challenge organisers give you preparation and travel advice ? Caz : I am used to organising expeditionstyle trips both for myself and others . My biggest challenge was understanding what the rainforest environment would throw at us . Carlos and Freya , the organisers , were a great help and always at the other end of the phone or WhatsApp . The information pack supplied for the challenge was very comprehensive .
Jon : Carlos and Freya were always available for a conversation and very helpful . It was a very well-organised challenge with excellent online resources . Again , Caz is the queen of organisation and kept us boys on track !!
Matt : I am well-travelled and have paddled a broad range of rivers , so I was comfortable with the preparation side of things . Caz kept track of things like insurance , flights , accommodation , etc with a Google spreadsheet and regular updates .
We understand it ’ s quite a trek to get to Peru , can you let us know how the travelling was for you ? Have you been to Peru before ? Caz : Travelling to Peru was hilarious . We had 5 x 23kg board bags and six x two-piece paddles , as we were carrying an extra board and kit for Matt . We had heard horror stories of bags going missing , but our seven flights throughout the trip went smoothly .
Jon : I was always excited to go to the home of Paddington Bear . Getting to go to Cusco and then travel across the Andes ( we reached 4000m ) and then down through the cloud rainforest was an incredible experience .
Matt : Never been to Peru before . I flew from New Zealand via Chile ahead of Caz and Jon . I wish I had refreshed my Spanish beforehand !