When I met my husband in 2017, he was training for an IRONMAN, and finished his race two months later. I wasn’t much of a swimmer and couldn’t imaging running a marathon. I was hoping to find something we could do together, when I found the Rib Mountain Adventure Race. It looked similar to IRONMAN, I thought.
We signed up in 2018 for our first race, having absolutely no idea what we were doing.
The Infamous First Canoe
We will never forget the canoe section that year. From the moment we pushed off, our boat zig-zagged down the river like it was determined to draw a giant “S.” It felt impossible to steer, and we didn’t understand why.
Halfway through, another team kindly yelled, “Your canoe is backwards!”
They were right.
We had launched the canoe with the back end facing forward.
We switched positions in the middle of the river—wobbling, laughing, trying not to tip over—then kept going. Later, we saw the race drone footage, and you could easily spot one canoe doing a dramatic 180-degree spin in the water. Of course, it was us.
For 2018 and 2019, we never cleared a course, always finished late, but completely hooked.
A New Season of Life
In 2020, we welcomed our little one. During postpartum recovery, the idea of racing again felt a million miles away. I could barely imagine jogging, let going for an adventure race. But I held onto the dream of returning to the race as a family. There were setbacks, but my motivation stayed clear: I wanted to be healthy and active for my little one.
Discovering Orienteering Together
Last year, we found the Badger Orienteering Club. Their shorter events fit our schedule perfectly. At first, we pushed our little one in a jogging stroller—dragging it through mud, roots, rocks, and hills. Eventually, we realized it was time for the stroller to retire, and let our kid join us on foot.
Our little one calls orienteering a “treasure hunt.” The orange-and-white control flags are treasure boxes, and the ePunch—the small electronic stick you tap into each checkpoint—is the “magic wand.” Their face lights up whenever they spot an “treasure box” and punching the controls became their favorite job.
At a recent event, we completed a 3-mile intermediate course as a team. That race sparked an idea:
Could we return to Rib Mountain this year? As a family?
A Last-Minute Decision
One week before the race, we happened to meet the race organizer at an orienteering event. We mentioned that we were considering signing up but weren’t sure if it made sense with a young kid. He encouraged us to go for it, reminding us that adventure racing can be adapted to families of all styles and speeds.
That was the nudge we needed.
Race Day Looked Very Different This Time
Even though it’s called the Rib Mountain Adventure Race, this year’s course took place at a nearby ski resort. Instead of climbing Rib Mountain, we had to climb a steep ski hill—which felt just as challenging.
The morning of the race, our packing list looked nothing like our pre-kid racing days:
- bike trailer
- rain jackets
- snacks (and emergency snacks)
- toys
- layers
- and a very excited little one
One thing that didn’t change from our earlier racing days was the need for a good waterproof map case. Adventure races involve constant map reading, often in rain or mud, and keeping the map dry and readable makes a huge difference.
We ambitiously pushed the stroller up the mountain—earning some applause—before abandoning it and climbing with our little one. Realizing we wouldn’t have time to clear the upper checkpoints, we turned back and finished on time. Our goal was simply to return safely and not be late—and we did it.
Surprisingly… the Canoe Became Our Favorite
After our canoe disaster years ago, we expected this section to be stressful. But this time, it became one of the highlights of the day.
Our little one sat right in the middle of the canoe—which meant sitting in a puddle—but paddled and splashed happily the entire time. Not a single complaint. Just joy.
Later, while looking through official race photos, we noticed that another family had placed a small folding stool in the center of their canoe so their kid wouldn’t sit on the wet floor. Brilliant. We’re absolutely bringing one next year.
After the race, we found a small folding stool that fits in a backpack. We used it later on a canoe trip in our UP Michigan vacation.
Seeing Other Families on the Course
What stood out this year were the families everywhere:
- kids who have grown up with the race
- A family with young kids made the 8-hour race podium
- little ones biking or hiking on their own
It was inspiring to see so many different ways families make adventure racing work for them.
A Fun Stop in Wausau the Next Day
Since the race is about three hours from home, we stayed overnight in Wausau. In our younger days we would have driven back and forth the same day, but traveling with our little one has changed our pace — in the best way.
The next morning we found an incredible playground right in town, with huge climbing nets, tunnels, and slides. It was the perfect way to stretch our legs and celebrate finishing the race together.
Why This Race Matters More Than Ever
My husband used to dreamed of doing another IRONMAN. But after the race, he said:
“This is my favorite race now—because we do it together.”
Adventure looks different for us today. Our pace is slower, our packs are heavier, our goals are simpler. But the joy is deeper. We’re outside, we’re moving, we’re solving problems as a team, and we’re showing our little one what adventure looks like.
We hope to return every year.
Maybe we’ll finally clear a course.
Maybe we’ll try the 8-hour race.
For now, we’re just grateful to be back.
