A FOUR MEMBER ADVENTURE FROM MIDDLE EAST WILL COMPETE IN THEREE DAYS OUTDOOR ENDURANCE EVENT IN ISLAND OF TIMOR-LESTE

JERUSALEM, 18 March 2004
A four-member adventure team will depart the Middle East on May 7th 2004 to compete in a three day outdoor endurance event on the tropical Island of Timor Leste in the name of friendship and peace.

Team Middle East will not only face stiff competition and arduous physical challenges but also be required to bond and streamline their efforts just a few short days before the challenge begins.

The team consists of an Israeli, a Palestinian and two Humanitarian Aid workers which will only get together when they board the flight for South East Asia in Amman, Jordan.

The team members refuse to let these barriers get in the way of their preparations for the multi-discipline challenge that will see them utilize various modes of non-powered transport to navigate the stunningly rugged landscape and seascape of Timor Leste. The actual route of the course will be kept a secret until the race brief on the 13th May 2004. However, the competitors will be required to run, mountain bike, paddle and swim in order to complete the challenge. The challenge will culminate in the capital city of Dili on the 20th May in conjunction with a series of festivities that are being planned to help celebrate the second anniversary of the newest nation in the world.

The four team members represent a diverse tapestry that is representative of this region of the world.

Yaron Konigsborg has recently finished his three-year service with the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), during which, he spent some time in the West Bank. However, now, as an Israeli civilian he is no longer able to enter the West Bank villages, which will prevent him from meeting and training alongside his Ramallah based teammate, Jennifer Marouf. Likewise Jennifer will not be able to visit Yaron as he prepares himself for the challenge in Jerusalem, thereby putting additional pressure on the two remaining team members. Team captain Mark Squirrell (Australian) and Mark Regnault De La Mothe (Italian), employees of the United Nations World Food Programme(WFP), will have to bridge the gap until the team can finally meet up just a few days before the challenge begins.

Squirrell, who worked in East Timor during the 1999 emergency says: “The team is in a unique position as it has the opportunity to not only provide a symbol of hope to those caught up in the Middle East crisis but also reveal how sports can help to break down the barriers that are created by different languages, religion and culture”. He also acknowledges that “it is unlikely that small gestures such as this will solve the bigger issues however they do provide an opportunity to raise awareness and funds for those that are quietly suffering from the conflict”.

More information on this adventure can be found at www.humanitarianadventures.com