A local snowmobiler has big plans to break the current women's world record for the longest distance travelled in 24 hours by snowmobile.
On February 17 and 18, Lisa Whiteman invites the community out to watch her complete this feat, where she will be non-stop snowmobiling for an entire day at the Full Throttle Motor Speedway in Varney. The record to beat is 1,019 miles (1,640 kilometres).
"Last year, I was the first female to ride in and successfully complete the 1,000 Mile Challenge out of New Brunswick," said Whiteman. "That goal was to reach 1,000 Global Positioning System (GPS) miles in 24 hours."
The goal, Whiteman added, is to raise as much money as possible to send kids to camp and that is the goal again with this year's challenge in Varney. Between the 1,000 Mile Challenge and this upcoming event, she has raised roughly $30,000 in collaboration with other riders.
"I felt I had the capability because in the 1,000 Mile Challenge, my partner and I achieved 1,015 GPS trail miles and we had so many challenges to overcome," she said. "With this ride, I've eliminated a lot of the challenges, however, it's still an incredibly daunting ride."
Whiteman said there's really no way to prepare, other than being physically fit and trained on a snowmobile. It gets to a point where you want to give up.
"You're physically exhausted, you're absolutely over the sport of snowmobiling all together," she said. "The only thing keeping you in it is pure heart and determination to finish something that you started."
All of the money raised in the event will stay local, sending kids in the area to camps who can't otherwise afford it. The ride kicks off at 10 a.m. on February 17 and admission is a donation to the food bank.
Sponsors and vendors are also invited to take part. If you're looking to support Whiteman's cause, donations can be made here. More information is available on Whiteman's website.
