Taking on Texas Water Safari
Submitted by jcht2010 on
By Jessica Coleman
Staff Writer
At 6 a.m. on a crisp February morning, the last place most people want to be is in a canoe, damp, sore, and exhausted. Martha Adame and Jeanie Hale, however, brave the cold, wet conditions and the chapped lips and numb toes that come with it, out of sheer dedication and determination.
The pair are training for what is largely accepted as the world’s toughest canoe race, the Texas Water Safari. In fact, the website www.texaswatersafari.org, greets visitors with those words scrawled across the top of the screen. The race draws competitors from all over the world and is held on June 11.
“People come from Germany, Spain – all over the world to do this.” said Jeanie.
Some years ago, neither Martha or Jeanie thought they would be training for the Boston Marathon of water events. Martha was just happy to have survived breast cancer, and Jeanie was 100 pounds heavier than she is now, both a thousand miles from the endurance athletes they are today.
It began when Martha, a nurse practitioner at the Jackson County Hospital District, decided to teach workouts at the district’s Wellness Center.
“I decided to get in shape by working out at the Wellness Center,” said Adame. “I figured teaching would keep me responsible for going. [Jeanie] decided she was just going to go to get healthy, and that’s how we met.”
The two became fast friends as Martha admired Jennie's determination to improve her health.
“At first, she was leaning all over the wall and breathing hard, but she just wouldn’t give up,” said Martha.
The two now train together regularly, rowing, weight training, doing cardio, and even earning their gold belts in karate together. They’ve become close friends as well as teammates, something that will only help them face the Water Safari together.
The Texas Water Safari began in 1963, and takes competitors from San Marcos to Seadrift in a winding, rolling, rapids-laden 260 mile course. Much like street marathons, while there is a winner, the pride is in finishing. Finishing the grueling, days-long event is an accomplishment for even the most experienced paddlers.
The event begins near San Marcos on June 11. The checkpoints along the way demand that rowers get to certain places by certain times, helping ensure safety by disqualifying weaker rowers along the way. The course is physically demanding and much of it being on private property, cannot be scouted ahead of time. The deadline to finish the race is 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15.
As for Martha and Jeanie – they’re survivors. They believe that if anyone can beat the odds and finish, it is them. Their team name reflects their drive – Team Determination.
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