Daredevils and Derivatives Meet at the 2010 Drak Challenge

What does marathon canoeing through the southern Drakensberg and trading on the stock market have in common? More than you may think, which is why this year’s main sponsor of the highly anticipated Drak Challenge will be a leading financial derivatives company, Global Trader. So when paddlers hit the river on 27 February, amongst them will be Team GTx - Global Trader’s very own group of dedicated adventure addicts.

In order to conquer the daunting two-day course, canoeists will need many of the same attributes required to succeed in today’s cut-throat financial markets – and chief among them are a pioneering spirit and a willingness to throw caution to the wind. So when Global Trader was looking for a way to accelerate their members’ participation in adventure sports, the popular Drak Challenge provided the ideal opportunity.

“The Global Trader brand positioning ‘What’s Stopping you?’ coincides perfectly with the daredevil environment of the Drak Challenge,” says Global Trader’s Flynn Robson. “As Global Trader was the first to pioneer CFD and Spread trading in South Africa, it seems only natural that we continue to seek out avenues that coincide with our adventurous and innovative company culture.”

While not a professional team, the GTx thrill-seekers will range from beginner to seasoned, and will provide Global Trader with a unique opportunity to interact with potential clientele outside of the traditional office environment.

“GTx is a concept that we would love to see grow from strength to strength and this can only happen through the participation of diverse, energetic sport fanatics,” adds Robson. “We look forward to seeing Team GTx become a formidable force within various adventure sports.”

The Drak Challenge dates back to 1994, and was a natural progression from the popular annual social and mixed doubles races that took place through the Underberg Gorge. Unfortunately, the first race was cursed by torrential thunderstorms that left the Umzimkulu River in full flood – and of the competitors that started the race, only 20% made it to the finish.

The dramatic beginning did not deter paddlers, however, and it has since become the third biggest race in the country, outside of the Dusi and the Fish marathons. As the fastest growing race for the past several years, the Drak Challenge consistently attracts the country’s top athletes and was also recently voted the paddlers’ favourite race - based purely on the quality of their experiences during last year’s event.

For more information on the race and how to enter, go to http://www.drak.co.za.