a new adventure

For most people, a break away from their jobs is a vacation. For Andrew Jillings, a break away from his job is an adventure. Jillings is Hamilton’s Director of Adventure Programs, and this summer he participated in the Yukon River Quest, the world’s longest annual canoe and kayak race. Not only did Jillings participate in this 460-mile race from Whitehorse to Dawson City on the Yukon River, but he also won. Celia Coan ’09 caught up with Jillings to find out more about his summer adventure.

What made you decide to compete in the Yukon River Quest?
I guess I just wanted to try something new. I’d never tried flat-water or long distance kayak racing. I wanted to take on a new challenge and see if I could complete the race.

What were your goals going into the race?
Since I didn’t know what to expect, I really didn’t have any specific goals. I just wanted to finish- I didn’t go into it with any expectations. After looking around [once we arrived at the start of the race in Whitehouse], I felt like I could finish in the top half.

How long did you train before the race?
I started training right after spring break, as soon as the ice started to melt off the rivers. I found a river down near Binghamton, where the ice was the earliest to melt. I trained there two to three times a week until enough ice melted that I could start training on the Erie Canal. I trained on the Erie four to five times a week up until the race.

Is the race dangerous?
No, nobody has ever died or even been seriously hurt. The trip up to the Yukon is probably more dangerous than the race itself. It’s a wilderness race and the organizers take the safety of the racers very seriously. There are required preparations- each racer must have a first aid kit, as well as food, water, warm clothing etc. They check several times before and during the race to make sure everyone is prepared. There are also check points throughout the race and racers can be disqualified if they are going too slowly. They really do a great job managing the safety of the race.

What was the biggest challenge you encountered?
Sitting down for 47 hours. It sounds easy but it’s actually quite painful- not so much during the race, but afterwards. The sitting caused much more pain than paddling. From the whole race I only got one tiny blister.

Do you think the race was more challenging physically or mentally?
Mentally, definitely. The race goes through two nights with only a few hours of sleep. Your brain starts to break into different parts- I starting having conversations with myself. It’s not the kind of race where you get physically tired because you can stop and rest as often as you need to. Because you can’t sleep much, however, you don’t get any mental rest and you need to stay highly aware throughout the race so you can pay attention to the map and your food and water intake.

How long did it take to complete the race?
I finished in 47 hours, 37 minutes and 2 seconds, which includes a combined 10 hours of mandatory rest stops.

How did you feel after finishing?
I felt like crap. I had to be lifted out of the boat. I was exhausted but I couldn’t sleep. I definitely felt worse in the following two days than I ever did during the race. But I won, which was nice. I came in first in the solo male kayak class and sixth overall [there were 79 teams entered in the race].

Did you have any time to explore or was it mostly taken up by the race?
We didn’t have much time to explore. We had a little time in Whitehorse because we arrived 3 days before the race to check out the location and take some practice paddles. It’s a really cool area. Sarah [Weis, Assistant Director of Hamilton’s Outdoor Leadership Program] and I both loved it. People think Texas is big, but this is on another level. It’s so vast and everything is hours apart. Just driving to the race was a great trip. Whitehorse is on the West side of the Rockies, where the land becomes flat again. There were some amazing views and we saw some great wildlife (buffalo and grizzly bears) along the way.

Would you consider going back to compete again?
Yes. Not next summer, but in two years I think I will have enough free time and I’d love to go back and compete again.

-celia coan '09