Slim and Trim Like Guava Limb Takes Day 1 of the 27th Belikin La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge

Day one of the 27th Belikin La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge wrapped up today and team Slim and Trim like Guava Limb took the top spot. Competing teams paddled the forty-nine miles down the Macal River from under the historic Hawskworth Bridge in San Ignacio Town, Cayo District, to Banana Bank. Slim and Trim Like Guava Limb finished with a total time of five hours, eight minutes and eleven seconds. 

“I feel great. I’m satisfied I mean this is what we’ve worked for but first of all I want to say thanks to Belize and to all our fans that support us. Today was a very important day for us. We made a lot of plan preparation for the race. The guys they executed as planned and we came in first which was our intention. We knew that Lucas is I would say the next team after us, the next best team so we kne we couldn’t give them break, a little jump a head of us so we had to stick with them wherever they are we had to stick with them and they’re the stronger team so we stayed and it proved today that we are the two better teams.”

Richard Herbert, Commentator: Well we see it and we hope to see more battles out there. Anything else you’d like to add on Guava Limb’s side ?

“Well yes I’d like to give great thanks to our sponsors Guava Limb Cafe and to the Lodge at Chaa Creek and thanks to the parents and these guys who have been loyal to us from junior you know from junior we were around together and it’s been a long road but it’s enjoyable where we’re at right now and we hope to keep it where we’re at right now. Hope to be the champs for this year.”

Richard Herbert, Commentator: Now one of you guys real quickly tell me what’s going to be game plan for tomorrow ? 

“We will just see what happens tomorrow and how the race starts and how it goes on the way.”

Second place was team Lucas Oil, who were running neck and neck with Slim and Trim for first place but got into an incident on the river where they knocked over a cameraman on the way to the finish line. They said that the incident cost them the victory.

“Actually I never saw it. I just heard the bang and then I lifted up my head and saw the camera man close to our bow.”

Richard Herbert, Commentator: So you accidentally ran into that camera and then that kinda slowed you down for a little bit.

“Oh yes it slowed us a lot because we were already on the wave but that’s an accident you know.”

Richard Herbert, Commentator: And Enrique tell me how has it been paddling with these guys ? We know you’re a very young paddler but what has it been like and especially because you used to paddle with the guys from Slim and Trim so what was it like competing with them out there on the river ? 

“Well I have two strong guys, they called me to come and try with them so I came and did it with them.”

The third-place team was team Belize Coast Guard one point five, fourth place was PACT/Magical Belize and the fifth team to cross the finish line was team Black Orchid Resort. 

The race resumes tomorrow and will see the teams paddle for 60 miles from Banana Bank to Double Head Cabbage.