Red Lady Rafting readies for world championships

 

Red Lady Rafting is just weeks away from its second world championship competition.
The local women’s raft racing team will compete in Foz de Iguaçu City, Brazil against 10 other international teams during the event, which runs from Oct. 8-19.

“Personally, I’m looking forward to the culture shock of being in Brazil and having the girls on the team have this experience, plus meeting all the men and women from all these countries who love the sport as well, and learning all we can from them,” team captain Julie Sutton said.

The 2014 competition is an R4 year, meaning each raft will have four paddlers. Red Lady Rafting’s current roster is comprised of Shahara Hansen, Hali Sammis, Evangeline Lambert and Julie Sutton.

The biggest challenge is fundraising, Sutton said. Anything the team can’t get donations for comes out of their own pockets, an expensive proposition for international travel. The team is accepting donations online through www.gofundme.com/usa-womens-team.

“We’re always really thankful for anyone who wants to help us and support us,” Sutton said.

Preparing for big water in Brazil with low water in Colorado water has also presented a challenge.The downriver portion competition will be held on the Iguassu River in Iguassu National Park, a waterway Sutton compared to the ...more