Nathan Fa’avae
Adventure Racing World Champion
Nathan started running marathons at 16 years old and competed in his first endurance triathlon when he was 17. He was a competitive mountain biker from 1990-1996 before switching to Multisport and getting two podium placings in the Speights Coast to Coast. In 1999 he won the Southern Traverse Adventure Race and that launched him into a career in the sport.
Nathan received an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the recent New Year Honours for his career in adventure racing. He is the creator of Team Avaya, NZ’s most successful Adventure Racing Team, winning the World Championships in 2005 and 2012. Nathan will compete in the prestigious GODZone adventure racing competition in Fiordland from February 23 to March 4 this year. The field will host team Avaya, returning to defend their title.
Nathan lives in Tasman Bay with his wife Jodie and their 3 children and enjoys playing golf in his spare time. He is a qualified instructor in whitewater kayaking, sea kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, snowboarding, mountain safety, and navigation. He has battled atrial fibrillation throughout his adult life, a heart condition that has required three corrective surgeries.
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