Inspired by a 17 year olds (Eddy Hunt) solo effort back in 1994 at the 24 Hours of Indiglo (later to become the 24 Hours of Adrenalin) I added in a solo category for the 1995 event. With no idea of how many would be interested in the 1995 solo event a round number of ten soloists as a cap was chosen. Mr. Hunt (then 18) won the day and it cemented the idea of solo 24 hour racing for me.

As the 24 Hours of Adrenalin grew from that one event, to four events in 1996, so did the solo category. After inviting John Stamstad (an endurance legend) to our 1997 event (in Ontario, Canada), which pitted a young Eddy Hunt against the veteran, more eyes become aware of these remarkable solo efforts. The solo categories continued to grow at each event we hosted and at the end of the 1998 season I put the question to myself - what do we do with this category? The athletes are remarkable with so many great stories and athletic achievements, but what to do with this category? My choices were to cap the solo entries and leave the category at the current level or... create another stage for these athletes. Well it's not too hard to guess what I chose; in the winter of 1998 plans to host the first ever World Solo Championships took shape. Our team at Trilife Sports International (TSI) started to get the word out. Plans for a televised hour show, with a live webcast (hard to imagine in 1999) and prize money. Luckily we had a perfect venue in Canmore, Canada with an established event that could underwrite many of the costs associated with staging the event. Outside support for this championship didn't want to shape up, so it was completely up to us to find a way, which we did through a lot of hard work. With a total field of approx 50 solo athletes, 60% of those local to Alberta, the event drew some great riders; Rishi Grewal, John Stamstad, Pat Norwil, Chris Scott, Steve Fassbinder, Roman Urbina, Greg Blackwell, Michael Madden, Amy Regan-Axelson, Chloé Lanthier, Katie Lindquist and Monica Nelson to mention a few. The Canadian Rocky Mountains provided an epic backdrop and mother nature made her appearance (the most grueling conditions to date). Brett Wolfe was presented with the 'spirit of adrenalin award' while Grewal and Lanthier took home the titles of World Solo Champions. It was truly an epic beginning to the World Solo 24 Hour Championships.

Fast-forward an entire decade to the fall of 2009 where I found myself in the land of OZ on a whirlwind trip compressing 12 days into 8. Having been approached by two groups from Australia in early 2009, I announced at our WSC athletes meeting in July 2009 that the WSC would take place in Australia the following year. The purpose of that Oz trip was to visit both bid locations (cities, venues, trails, facilities etc.), meet the groups behind the bids and come home with a solid decision. I must say for the record that both bids were fantastic and either would provide a great experience for athletes. So thank you to both Peter Creagh - Tailwind Promotions and Russ Baker - representing CORC. The successful bid came from CORC and the city of Canberra and the announcement was made shortly after the decision.

Heading into our 12th WSC will signify another first for WSC athletes as it will mark the first year that the WSC Championships will be held outside of North America. Our previous venues of Canmore, AB - Canada (99/08/09), Idyllwild, CA - USA (00/01), Silverstar Resort, BC - Canada (02), Whistler, BC - Canada (03/04/05) Conyers, GA - USA (06), and Monterey, CA - USA (07) all proved to be excellent in their own ways. Having visited Canberra and the team at CORC, I'm certain that this year's championship will be the largest to date and that the folks at CORC will host a remarkable experience for everyone.

As I write this, I'm quickly remembering back to 1999 and what it took to launch the very first World Solo 24 Hour Championships, those that were involved in staging the event and the riders that attended - the pioneers of the sport. I also recall my early vision of providing a stage for remarkable athletes, the desire to help share stories is a dream I still hold. I'm also wanting to thank all the fine people involved at Trilife Sports International and twenty4 sports over the years and I look forward to seeing many of you in Australia. As I wrap this up, the thing that keeps going through my head is this... Life is a journey, better to live it than dream it. Cheers!

Stuart

January in Calgary means it's cold and snowy, with a forecast of several more months of cold and snowy just around the corner. Currently it's -17 Celsius outside with huge patches of ice covering every road, path and trail. It's not exactly a 24hr Solo mountain biking paradise at the moment.

I like 24's, our Black Labrador likes running through snow. -17 means it's good to be a dog right now.

With a commitment to Worlds in October (and a few other races between now and then) I find myself walking down the basement steps nearly every night, after the rest of the family goes to bed, to hop on my bike trainer and dream of warmer days and ice free trails. Tonight's trainer session was two hours at a fixed wattage, the whole time I was down there I dripped and drooled and was glad to see the timer finally hit the 2 hour mark. Anyone who says hours in the basement by yourself on a trainer is fun has a different idea of fun than I do.

So why do it?

I suspect everyone reading this newsletter has their own answer already. Maybe it's because racing a 24hr Solo isn't easy and training hard leading up to the event helps make things a bit easier on race day. Maybe it's because when you toe the line you don't like to think of the woulda, shoulda coulda's, so you train those excuse away. Or maybe, like me, your main reason is... because you like to see what you are capable of.

To see what you've got. To see what you can do. To push your envelope. And the trainer is a part of that.

When it's January in Calgary and you are on a trainer, a race in Australia seems a long way away but I know that in a blink of an eye I'll be standing in Canberra. Standing under an Australian sun, watching a countdown clock with only a couple of minutes to go, listening to U2's 'Where the Streets Have No Name' blasting over the speakers and enjoying the moment when everyone around me nods at each other and smiles that knowing smile. Right then is one of my favorite moments in the entire event and maybe that nodding and smiling moment is worth all the time I spend on the trainer - keeping my head in the game.

That's all for now, see you in three weeks,,,

Shaun