Sparks light up Farmstrong at Coast to Coast

Module Overview

Young farmers Georgia and Henry Spark put all sibling rivalry aside to push themselves to the maximum and represent Farmstrong at the recent Kathmandu Coast to Coast.

The gruelling two-day event in February saw Georgia, 21, and Henry, 23, run, bike and kayak 243km from Kumara Beach on the West Coast of the South Island to New Brighton Beach in Christchurch on the East Coast.

Georgia, who works on a cattle farm in Lees Valley in North Canterbury, says despite suffering bad cramp on the rainy first day, she pushed through.

“I rested up well that night and the next day was much warmer, and the sun was shining, and I had a much stronger day,” Georgia says.

The pair, who are both Lincoln University graduates, competed together as a team last year, but this year competed as individuals.

“I’m really proud of what I achieved. It’s such a cool event and atmosphere and there’s so much support for athletes.”

Representing Farmstrong

Georgia says she was super proud to represent Farmstrong in the race.

“I’m really passionate about mental health and wellbeing. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been more exposed to the challenges people can face and the challenges loved ones can face, too.”

One member of the pair’s support crew was their dad, dairy farmer Geoff Spark, who is a Farmstrong champion.

She says her dad has been a keen advocate and supporter of Farmstrong for as long as she can remember.

“Supporting farmers’ mental and physical health is so important. A lot of the time it’s hard to get off farm and have that separation. It can become isolating and a struggle mentally if you don’t.”

Support from the workplace

She says the Coast to Coast was great for having a break and getting off farm.

“It gives you a different focus, and the training gives you a physical and mental break. It’s also important to have something to aim for and something challenging.”

Georgia says she feels lucky to have a boss who gave her time off to train.

“I’m really lucky with the job I’ve got. It’s my first full-time one out of university and I love it and feel really privileged. My boss was amazing at giving me the time to train.”

She says it can be tough for young farmers to find the right job.

“There are jobs out there but finding the right one can be tricky. You go through your share of tricky bosses or workplaces and getting the right one can be challenging,” she says.

As for any sibling rivalry in the race, Georgia says she was competing purely against herself.

“We usually have a bit of rivalry, but this time I was competing against myself and to see what I could do. I’m really proud of Henry as he had some struggles in the race and did so well to pull through.”

Henry digs deep

Henry, who is currently back home helping out on his parents’ North Canterbury farm, trained for six months to prepare for the race.

“I wasn’t prepared for the heat, though. It was very hot on the day we arrived before the race. I was a bit dehydrated and didn’t sleep well that night, so I suffered on the first day of racing a bit.”

However, Henry dug deep and pushed through the first day of racing which included a 2.2km run, 55km bike ride and 31km mountain run.

“When I came off the bike to run, I tried to eat something but struggled to keep it down and was feeling a bit unwell but got through on salt capsules.”

The next day entailed a 15km bike ride, 1km run, 67km kayak ride down the Waimakariri River and a final 70km cycle to the finish line.

“I had an issue in the kayak with my rudder cable getting caught around the pedal so I couldn’t turn so I had to spend some time sorting that out.”

Event provides break from farm

Despite the challenges, Henry enjoyed the event and is proud of what he achieved but says he was “pretty well done by the end of it”.

“I’d thought about quitting a couple of times, but I knew I’d make it to the finish line; it was just a matter of how long it would take.”

Henry says representing Farmstrong was a cool way to raise awareness about the great work it does.

“I was wearing Farmstrong branded shorts and tops and my support crew had Farmstrong gear on, too,” he says.

“It was such a great event to be part of and to have my support crew there. The athletes are all really friendly and I got a real sense of achievement along the way.”

He says having an event like the Coast to Coast to prepare for helped to take his mind off farm work.

“I’d train after work, get exercise, fresh air and a mental break, which was really good. You can train with others or by yourself and having a goal or something you’re striving towards is always great.”