Sticking together, the riders still smiling, egging each other on to the end

THE Alaskan wilderness is a tough place in anyone’s mind but Australian Capt Fleur Keogh didn’t let that stop her from competing with a US Army team in the recent US Armed Forces EcoChallenge.

Teams comprised of four members and each team was required to move together navigating across a course of about 200 miles on foot, mountain bikes, pack rafts and mountaineering across glaciers.

Capt Keogh is an exchange instructor at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, teaching intelligence support to MOOTW at the US Army Intel School.

She said the challenge was not plain sailing.

“There will be bears, moose, ice and mosquitoes to contend with as well as the incredibly vast, picturesque and challenging landscape,” she said.

“This is the ultimate challenge for teamwork and hard core endurance.”

Following the US EcoChallenge last year, Capt Keogh’s team was sent by the US Army to compete in the New Zealand Ecochallenge in October where they finished in 17th place.

Capt Keogh’s team did make some changes.

“I have modified my team this year to make it stronger and now, without intending to be arrogant, we are considered the team to beat.”

• By Leut Greg Keeley in
  North America

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