Team NZL for 2017 Red Bull X-Alps hike and fly race

Hello, I'm Karen Pronk, Nick's mother and supporter, very happy to be part of this adventure with him and his brother Ben (the official supporter).

Though I was born and grew up in New Zealand, I now live in rural Queensland where, retired, I build and tutor and volunteer among other things.

Following Nick's adventure in 2015 via live tracking on the internet, was really exciting - and sleep-depriving, given that he was in the other hemisphere! This year, the second time he has been selected as the only New Zealand entrant, I am even more excited to support him on the ground as he strives to complete this race again. While our main goal is to have a lot of fun and be fully part of the experience, there is no doubt that it will also be very hard work. Following Nick's air-borne or trekking progress (which is, needless to say, entirely weather-dependent and therefore largely unpredictable), and making sure that at the end of each race day we are wherever he has landed, in order to provide food, accommodation, a variety of recharged batteries, updates on weather conditions and many other things, will inevitably be exhausting, though also thrilling I'm sure!

We need to be in Europe for a minimum of three weeks for this event. Any funds you wish to donate will be used for air fares, accommodation, food, car hire, fuel, tolls, taxes and all the incidental costs involved in this adventure. Each athlete and supporter must provide for him/herself in this regard, and Nick's strong preference is for this to be a simple family effort, not involving the commercialism that large company sponsorship often involves. Needless to say, this is not a cheap option, and your support will be greatly appreciated, so that I can be more fully engaged in providing the large amount of physical and psychological input to Nick as opposed to an emphasis on financial concerns.

I urge you also to view the race via live tracking on 2-12 July, as I and Nick's extended family found it absolutely riveting back in 2015, talking about it for many months afterwards (admittedly, Nick ran a very exciting race, with a different approach to other competitors, see https://sharemyjoys.wordpress.com/2015/08/06/xalps-2015-race-diary-part-1/). You will, I'm sure, not regret it.

Thank you so much for your help.