Lunar Chicks take on the Beast
(Because girls are not just compulsory equipment…)
Running, riding and reading maps like a girl is an affirmation like none other!
The Beast Of Ballyhoura is a uniquely Irish, non-stop adventure race across the ancient and magical surroundings of couties Cork, Limerick and Tipperary. The teams (other than the Lunar Chicks) of course are mixed gender teams of four who compete unsupported to navigate the best route on non-stop500km course designed to push each team to their limit and including
mountain biking, trekking/trail running, kayaking, swimming, rope work (abseiling, traversing, asceniding), orienteering, target shooting and other “surprise activities”.
Brief Biographies
Nikki Smit (36) (Team Captain and Navigator)
Nikki has a lifetime of competitive sport behind her and grew up swimming and horse riding.She has paddled for 20 years and has completed numerous K1 flatwater and river races including the Berg River Canoe Marathon (240km, 4 days), Breede River Canoe Marathon (75km, 2 days), Fish River Canoe Marathon (80km, 2 days), Dusi Canoe Marathons (120km, 3 days). She is an accomplished and experienced mountain biker who has done the Transbaviaans (240km nonstop MTB) Sani 2 C (3 days MTB) Garden Route 300 (3day MTB), Wartrail (135km 1 day MTB), and many more. She started Adventure Racing and multi day Adventure events in 2007 and has since then completed various sprint AR’s (60-100km), Eden Challenge 250km, Eden to Addo 600km 8 day off-road adventure , Expedition Africa 500km AR – 2011, 2013 & 2014 Eden Duo 150km.
Janine Linder (47)
Janine has a varied and impressive sporting background having achieved her provincial colours for Gymnastics, she has also taken on the unusual sports of trampolining, board diving and trapeze flying. She has paddled for more than half her life and has been involved in competitive white water rafting. River Marathon paddling and Sea paddling have been the sports she has been mostly involved in. She represented SA in Marathon Champs in 2010 but since has moved over to Adventure Sport. 2012 she raced the Eden Duo 150km AR with Nikki and then took on the Expedition Africa races in 2013 and 2014.
Kim van Kets (42)
After running all the big road races (Comrades, 2 Oceans etc) in her youth, Kim discovered trail running and was hooked by the beauty and solitude of the sport. She has spent a lot of time on the trail and has run, cycled and paddled for more than half of her life. In addition to various short adventure races, the Addo 100 miler, the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon and the Lycian Way Ultra (250+km self sufficiency races), the Transkei Ultra (270km) the Pilgrimage Trail Run (just short of 600km) and countless other ultra marathons she is best known for her 6772km circumnavigation of South Africa where she covered the distance on foot, bike and kayak in 148 days. www.kimvankets.com
Jessica Crewdson (23)
Jess is the team “lighty” with impeccable credentials. She is a flight instructor who has grown up in the paddling/trail running/mountain bikinging community.
She has completed the Eden Duo and the Breede Canoe Marathon and has just completed the non-stop War Trail (60 Skyrun, 130km mountain bike, 60km paddle).
