Beachside Events

The Beachside Amazing race started of somewhat mysteriously as participants had no idea what to expect and we weren’t letting anything slip. It wasn’t until they crossed the finish line that everything had finally been revealed. Beachsier Josh Denton recaps the day-

“The air hung painfully cold, the icy tendrils of the soaked grass gripped feet and ankles alike. If it wasn’t for all the excited faces the scene would have been daunting. Everyone was gathered for the inaugural Beachside Amazing Race. Teams of four gathered in loose huddles, game plans were discussed and then we were gathered for the first Road Block.

Sitting before us the once delicious, but we are better educated now, Coke Cola, Gatorade, Chocolate Milk and an Iced Tea. Smash out 100 get ups as a team and then using our Beachside knowledge work out which drink has the highest sugar content. If you got it right you were off and running with your next clue. Get it wrong and it was back to the icy grass for more Get Ups.

Get it right however then- clue in hand, teams powered down the cycleway. Team unity and determination a driving force. Waiting for teams at the next Road Block, a jar of delicious Brussels sprouts, I like mine fried with garlic. Guess how many are jammed into the jar and power up the hill to give your answer to a waiting trainer. Get it right and it was back on the road. Wrong answers had you back down the hill and up again, legs driving forward.

Next road block had an easy lunge along the school. Brains and muscles both being tested, decipher the clue and head on down the main drag of the village. First stop and you were rolling healthy delicious sushi rolls with the lovely girls at Uchi. If you’re not a sushi samurai, embrace another of Japan’s wonders and get down and Sumo Squat.

A quick sprint down the street and another Road Block using your beachside provided nutrition education. Sitting in the window of the Superior Meats Butcher were a variety meats, guess what has the best protein amounts and turn over the card, sitting on the back was the amount of an exercise or your next clue.

Another mad dash down the street and racers embraced their inner yogi, stretching and building muscle with Hindu Push Ups. Another Road Block hurdled and teams were pacing themselves to the next stop on the Race.

Parked in the distance, like a mirage, was the Beachside-Mobile, almost as iconic as the Bat-Mobile. An easy road block for the legs, a quick team selfie and we were powering down to the football oval.

The Beachsiders showed up the players warming up on the pitch with team after team doing step ups to get through the next road block. Legs burning but clue in hand racers were off again, no half time on this race.

The water down at the pools looked so inviting, the sun reflecting of the sea teams spied a box of wheat bix and their next road block. The classic eat something super dry and whistle. You’re puffed and your mouth is already dry. Now try and do it.

But with success on the last Road Block and teams streamed along the picturesque Shellharbour Break Wall. It would have been a sight to see countless people balance precariously along the wall, every single one of them holding a tree pose.

A bit of monkeying around at the next road block. Using all that upper body strength built with their time doing burpees, push up and swinging kettle bells teams swung rung to rung. No longer Beachsiders but beach chimps. No time to rest and eat though, another clue and you were running again, the beautiful Cowries the backdrop for the next leg of the race.

Like mountain goats, Racers hopped along the rocks near Shellharbour North Beach, waiting at the Surf St stairs the Rocky Road Block. Run the stairs just like Sly did in Philly, waiting at the top a raw egg, the breakfast of champions. If you couldn’t stomach the egg then more stair laps.

Pushing on a playground loomed ahead, muscles aching and lungs burning teams rallied up, over and through this road block.

Muscles hurting, lungs burning and stomachs full of wheat bix and raw eggs, teams encouraged each other over the finish line. Never has Beachside HQ looked so good.

As one of the Racers I’d like to give a massive shout out and thank you to Kieran and Michelle. In fact the entire Sernig family who helped put on such an Amazing Race, haha like what I did there. Also a thank you to the businesses who helped, Uchi, Superior Meats and Suashan Indian Restaurant. And lastly all the Beachsiders who Raced, I hope you had as much fun as I did.”

Josh Denton.

The was run and congrats to S.Q.U.A.T. Team who came out victorious on the day!

I just wan to say how much I loved seeing the smiles and hearing the laughing all around the course. It takes me so  happy that we can go out and have an amazing day full of physical activity, fresh air and sunshine with friends and family and be laughing the whole time.