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Ocean rowers race from California to Honolulu, Hawaii

Two Vancouver women are gearing up to embark on the journey of a lifetime in the Great Pacific Race and will be the only Canadian team competing in the inaugural event.

Two Vancouver women are gearing up to embark on the journey of a lifetime in the Great Pacific Race and will be the only Canadian team competing in the inaugural event.

Fourteen teams from nine different countries will set off June 7 from Monterey, Calif. and row to Honolulu, Hawaii using nothing but their muscles.

Rebecca Berger and Leanne Zrum have been preparing for the race for more than two years, with endless certifications and training courses to get them ready for the 3,900-km journey. Both women have competed in numerous races, including the World Dragon Boat Championships and both represented Canada in the World Outrigger Sprint Championships in 2012, but it will be their first shot at ocean rowing.

“I used to live in the UK and I was going to row the Indian Ocean, but then I moved back home,” said Berger. “When I heard about this race through a friend, I got all excited because I have been wanting to race in the ocean for 12 years.”

After signing up on a whim without securing a partner, Berger knew that Zrum would be the right person to ask and was happy to have someone she could trust to make the commitment.

“My experience is nothing compared to what we are going to experience out there, although I do have the benefit of understanding water, winds and tides,” Berger said. “I know that I will be able to learn and adapt, but it will be scary at first.”

Besides support from family and friends, the duo has received donations from various sponsors for equipment, including their $70,000 boat, clothing and food.

The boat is currently at Granville Island getting equipped with all the necessary gadgets, including electrical, communications and safety equipment, a solar panel, GPS and a chart plotter.

Apart from the mandatory training and certification, Berger and Zrum sought out a sports psychologist to help them get mentally prepared for the trip and met professor Roger Friesen by chance.

Friesen, who is a professor of sport psychology at the University of the Fraser Valley, met the women at the Granville Island Boat Show earlier in the year and has been working closely with them ever since. Friesen has worked with national and Olympic athletes and teams over his 19 years at the university, but there was something about working with the rowing duo that resonated with him.

“It’s very near and dear to my heart and has been for a long time,” Friesen said. “I’ve spent a lot of time on the water, having sailed across the Atlantic myself with one other person.”

What Friesen refers to as mental toughness or mental fitness has become a regular part of the team’s training.

“Everyone understands physical fitness and what most people don’t realize is our brain and emotional state can be trained in much the same way,” Friesen explained.

He said because the women will be confined to a small boat for an extended period of time, it’s important to equip them with the skills to work through difficult situations, problem-solve and overcome feelings of frustration and discouragement.

In addition to the race, each team will be raising money for a chosen charity — Berger and Zrum have selected the David Suzuki Foundation.

Racing teams, which number between one and four members, are expected to take anywhere between 30 and 80 days to reach Hawaii.

According to race organizer Chris Martin, each boat will be equipped with video cameras, a race tracker and computer equipment to allow racers to keep a blog of their experience. “We are taking it up a notch at this event,” Martin said. “We want to document the whole journey.”

Berger and Zrum will hold several fundraising events before they leave for Monterrey, including a send-off party at Locarno Beach on April 13.

Details at rowthepacific.ca.

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