Twenty-four athletes geared up to take on the Nature Island of Caribbean for the 3rd edition of Dominica’s Nature Island Challenge (NIC). The six teams competed in the highly anticipated four-day hiking race, covering more than 50 miles predominantly along Dominica’s Waitukubuli National Trail. Athlete teams encountered a series of adventure, cultural, and photo challenges involving strategy, problem solving, and creativity.
This year’s competition features two teams from the Caribbean, including returning NIC 2.0 champs from Trinidad and Tobago (#NICTrinidadWhite) and a team from Barbados (#NICBarbadosYellow). Two teams represent the United States: Team USA Blue (#NICUSABlue) and Team USA Orange affiliated with Ross University in Dominica (#NICUSAOrange). The final two teams come from Germany: Team Germany Red (#NICGermanyRed) and Team Germany Green (#NICGermanyGreen) which includes two journalists who will write about their NIC experience.
The teams are all comprised of accomplished, socially connected adventure seeking athletes who are revved up to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime experience which take them across the rainforests, lakes, rushing streams, cascading waterfalls, and breathtaking scenery that define Dominica and the Nature Island Experience.
The teams are as diverse as the challenges they will encounter, from endurance athletes and fitness instructors to travel writers. These men and women will compete by traversing segments of Waitukubuli National Trail and other signature Dominican attractions performing a series of athletic, cultural, and mental challenges along the way, seeking the title of NIC 3.0 Champs.
The competition features team members alternating, in pairs, on an average daily 10 mile trail run combined with mini and photo challenges along the course. At the end of each day’s race, all four teammates reunite to participate in a major challenge. The Nature Island Challenge is scored on a points system based on the finish order in each day’s trail race and the mini, photo and major challenges.
Teams will also capture the thrill of the competition in still photos and video which will be posted across social media networks. Fans from near and far can follow the excitement on Twitter and Instagram at @NIChallenge, on Facebook at NatureIslandChallenge, or on the official blog www.natureislandchallenge.com. Fans are also encouraged to use the hashtag #NatureIslandChallenge to join the conversation! The Nature Island Challenge makes for fabulous entertainment and we encourage fans from around the world to follow the progress throughout this week on social media.
Nature Island Challenge 3.0 is presented by Discover Dominica Authority with support from a large network of local partners and volunteer teams including Waitukubuli National Trail Management Unit; Forestry, Wildlife, and National Parks Division; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force; Dominica Cadet Corp; Dominica Fire & Ambulance Service; Dominica Red Cross Society; Lands and Surveys Division; Combine Taxi Association; various community and tourism groups.
