The 35-year-old seasoned sportswoman said she was "roped in" at the last minute to fill a gap in a team, but the event was a great way to prepare for the start of the national and international circuit of paddleboarding competitions in February.
"I always use these two or three months off in Wanaka to build up a foundation of lower-body strength and Red Bull Defiance is such an uphill grunt it’s a great way to take me out of my comfort zone," Anderson said.
Red Bull Defiance is a two-day, two-person team multisport race that combines off-road running, kayaking and mountain biking across eight high country stations around Wanaka. This year it is being held tomorrow and on Sunday.
"I haven’t met my team-mate yet — I’ve only spoken to him over the phone — so I’ll be managing team dynamics and doing stuff I have no idea about, but these are some of the skills you need to be successful when you compete overseas, no matter what the sport," Anderson said.
