Previously, Pinkie’s team has written about the changing landscape of activities, and how people are trying to find new, exciting and different ways of challenging themselves. For example traditional running has evolved into long distance/extreme ultra-marathons, and Triathlons have evolved into adventure races which include paddling, mountain biking and trail running.
We also have extreme skiing, snowboarding, kite surfing, zorbing, parkour, exergaming – even lingerie football (as controversial at it is, it’s still a different way of participating in a traditional sport…)
But what next? What other activities already exist that were left for someone to change? What could they attempt that no-one else had thought of already? Is there actually anything left to change?
How about….the Tour de France?
What was once a highlight of the sporting calendar, watched by people all around the world, is now “held on high only by those who worship the sport and by those who refuse to let recent headlines change their views of the athletes taking part. The saga of Lance Armstrong, rampant drug use and the decline of faith in the integrity of professional cycling have brought the sport on hard times.”
So, the media fanfare has subsided in 2013 and as such, the casual fan has decided to remove the event from their highly congested sports viewing calendar. However, if you happen to be a fan of crowdsourcing, you may have followed this year’s tour more closely than ever – in fact, you may even be financially invested in it.
Portland resident Zoe Romano decided to become the first ever RUNNER to take on the Tour de France, to raise money for the World Pediatric Program. Beginning May 18th, Zoe intended to run an average of 48km PER DAY which would allow her to reach her destination in Paris the day before the Tour riders.
She covered an insane route covering every region of France, pushing over 2,000 miles with elevations changes equal to Mount Everest, THREE TIMES OVER. (If you’d like a more intimate visualization of the challenge, check out Google’s special Street View Guide).
“… the last day was absolutely incredible as we passed by the Eiffel Tower, the Museum D’orsay, the Louvre, the Tuileries, the Obelisk and then finally up the Champs Elysée and onto the Arc. I think we were all sporting huge grins for the whole run. I mean, when else in my life am I going to be in PARIS, with my siblings, running 4 in a line like ducks down the Seine towards the Eiffel Tower, celebrating something so monumental?! I hope it’s not never, but it could be.
And at the finish line under the Arc we were met by Susan Rickman from WPP who gave us great big hugs and cheered us on with her friends. Like I said, just a very special day.”
So is this what we want to watch now? Feats of extreme mental strength that are completed to raise money for those less fortunate than us – or simply as a different way of tackling long standing ‘elite events’? (Check out the Tour de Crawf, a bike ride across Australia to raise money for breast cancer research for another example.)
But the question still remains…what next?
