Extreme obstacles no barrier to Tough Gal winners

TOUGH GALS: Gisborne Girls High School students Phoebe Taylor and Holly Drain won their divisions at the NZ Secondary Schools Tough Guy and Gal Challenge held in Rotorua on August 20. Picture supplied

Two Gisborne teenagers navigated barbed wire fences and mud tunnels to win their age divisions at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Tough Guy and Gal Challenge in Rotorua.

Phoebe Taylor, 15, and Holly Drain, 16, travelled to the cross-country event with other students from the Tairawhiti Services Academy at Gisborne Girls’ High School.

Held on a farm outside the city, it featured a six-kilometre track with challenging obstacles such as a net climb, swamp crossings, barbed wire and a rope bridge.

Around 1000 competitors from all around the country took part. Drain, having won the under-16 division last year, was out to continue her success, and she did not disappoint.

She won the under-20 female division and was 21st overall in a time of one hour 21 minutes for the two-lap course.

“I finished seven minutes ahead of the next competitor, which was pretty cool,” she said.

“There was a great vibe and the course was really fun. I am really proud and happy to have won another medal.”

Those sentiments were shared by Taylor, who won the u16 girls’ division in her first time at the event.

“I did not know what to expect,” she said.

“At one stage of the race there was no one in front of or behind me, and I thought I was coming last.”

Taylor finished the race in one hour 41 minutes.

“It took me an extra 10 minutes to complete my second lap so I could have done a lot better. It was a fun and challenging race, and I will be back next year to try to beat my time.”

Both girls trained for the event through the Tairawhiti Services Academy and in their own time. Participants could choose to complete one or two laps of the course.

The Rotorua race was one of three secondary school tough guy and gal events. The others were held in Auckland in June and Wellington this month.