Speight's brings in the experts

The team at Speight's takes pride in sponsoring a range of fantastic Kiwi multisport events, from the Motatapu in Central Otago to the Coastal Challenge in Auckland - and let’s not forget where it all started: the iconic Speight’s Coast to Coast.

Starting November 2012, Speight’s will kick off a series of live, online webinars. These interactive tutorials are aimed at our dedicated multisport enthusiasts - the weekend warriors who passionately train for, and participate in, the events Speight’s supports.

Rolling out in four monthly instalments, the webinars will be hosted by nine-time Speight’s Coast to Coast champion Steve Gurney and Olympic bronze medal rower (now multisport enthusiast) Nathan Twaddle.

“We’ll have content from training, nutrition and equipment, to course descriptions, tips and tall tales from 30 years of the event that really did kickstart multisport and adventure racing,” says Steve Gurney.

“The Speight’s Coast to Coast is a race that I have an incredibly close connection to, and I’m looking forward to helping inspire, motivate and educate endurance enthusiasts worldwide with these webinars.”

The first webinar will kick off on Thursday November 29th at 7:30pm and can be viewed at www.speights.co.nz. A chat room will enable "live" viewers to ask questions of the presenters.

There are four webinars in total - one per month between November 2012 and February 2013, when the 31st Speight’s Coast to Coast will take place. It's also possible to watch the webinars "on demand" via the video library on the Speight's website.

The 30th anniversary 2012 Speight’s Coast to Coast is scheduled for February 8 and 9, 2013.

Watching may just give you the winning edge!

 Notes to the Editor:

Nathan Twaddle has a New Zealand Order of Merit and is a rower and New Zealand Olympic medallist. He won a world championship in 2005 before competing at the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing, in the coxless pair rowing with his partner George Bridgewater and came away with a bronze medal.

Steve Gurney is a New Zealand multisport and triathlon athlete who has also been awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit for services to endurance sport. He is probably most well known for winning the Speight’s Coast to Coast more than any other person, in 1990, 1991, and 1997 - 2003. He has also raced mountain bikes for NZ at the world champs twice, competed in Dancing with the Stars and completed a world record crossing of the Sahara desert by wind-power. He loves inspiring people to greater heights and teaching how to make mole-hills out of mountains.

In 1994, a severe Leptospirosis infection caught whilst racing in Sarawak jungles in Malaysia very nearly cost him his life with respiratory and renal failure. His determination and patience allowed him to fight back to full fitness.