James becomes the youngest ever to complete The Arizona Trail Race.
Year 9 student James Rothwell and his dad have just completed The Arizona Trail Race, a gruelling south-to-north 930-mile self-supported mountain bike race. It’s an incredible achievement for anyone to complete, let alone a 13-year-old. James was officially the youngest rider to have ever completed the race.
40 riders started, and 16 finished and this was actually a very high completion rate. It’s usually about ten!
During the trail temperatures ranged from 45 degrees to minus 10. The pair also had to contend with extreme isolation, days without real food or resupply. The trail also involved massive amounts of climbing (32,000 vertical metres) and the brutal Grand Canyon traverse.
Not only was it an amazing feat of endurance for a 13yr old, James also learned about the fascinating plant and animal life, saw incredible geology, and gained interesting insights into American culture.
We are so proud of James and are in awe of this phenomenal achievement.
