Intro
Adventure Racer
Winner of Eco Challenge - World’s Toughest Race
6 x Adventure Racing World Champion
Intro
Adventure Racer
Winner of Eco Challenge - World’s Toughest Race
6 x Adventure Racing World Champion
Nathan’s life is a nexus of adventure,
he is the consummate adventure professional.
Nathan is 48 years old. He lives in Tasman Bay, near Nelson with his wife Jodie and their 3-children. He is half Samoan.
Adventure has been the theme in his life since developing a passion for the outdoors and adventure sport when he was a young teenager.
He started running marathons at 16-years old and competed in his first endurance triathlon when he was 17. His first competitive sport was mountain biking where he raced extensively from 1990-1996, as a Cross-country racer he won the NZ Junior Title, South Island Championships, was in the NZ Team for 5-years; qualifying for the Olympics in 1996 (but didn't compete), in that time he competed in Australia, Asia and North America.
From Mountain Biking he switched to Multisport getting two podium placings (2nd & 3rd) 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 has been a semi professional and full time professional athlete for 18 years. During that time he has represented New Zealand at 4 different sports, attending 15 World Championships. He has captained the New Zealand Adventure Racing team to 6 World Championship victories. He has competed in 28-countries.
Perhaps what makes his sporting career quite extraordinary is he has battled with a Heart Condition ‘Atrial Fibrillation’ throughout his adult life. He has had three corrective surgeries to manage the condition.
He spends a significant amount of time in the wilderness with his children doing adventures.
BOOK
SPONSORS
RAB
MSR
Chill
Xinix
THINK
Suunto
Saltstick
Torpedo7
Gemini Lights
inov-8 Footwear
Bridgedale Socks
Frontier Packrafts
Santa Cruz Bicycles
Tineli Performance Bike Wear
Toyota - BMG - Bowater Toyota
Absolute Wilderness Freeze Dry Meals (Nathan owns this company)
COACHING
Nathan can assist athletes with coaching and training.
Adventure Racing
Multisport
Kayaking / Surfski
XC Mountain Biking
Road Cycling
Mountain / Trail Running
Nathan works with athletes over 6-12 weeks with the aim of teaching them the skills to self coach themselves.
Highlights
Sporting Highlights
Highlights
Sporting Highlights
Sporting Highlights
2020
1st Rabbit Island Multisport Race
2nd Orienteering National Championships - Middle 45+
2nd Orienteering National Championships - Sprint 45+
2nd Orienteering National Championships - Long 45+
2019
1st Eco Challenge - World’s Toughest Race, Fiji
1st Heights of Winter - mixed / 12-hour
2nd Orienteering National Championships - Long 45+
3rd Orienteering National Championships - Sprint 45+
1st Rabbit Island Multisport Race
2018
1st Adventure Racing World Championships, Reunion Is.
1st Abdication of the King Rogaine
5th Ultra Long Hogs Back
5th NZ Orienteering MTB Champs - Long course
4th Godzone Fiordland
3rd Orienteering National Champs - Sprint 45+
2017
1st OY Nelson / Marlborough
3rd Orienteering National Championships - Sprint 40+
3rd Orienteering National Championships - Middle 40+
3rd Orienteering National Championships - Long 40+
2016
1st Adventure Racing World Championships, Australia
1st Raid in France
2nd Yeti Adventure Challenge, Denmark
1st Rockman Offroad Triathlon, Niue
3rd Orienteering National Championships - Middle 40+
3rd Orienteering National Championships - Long 40+
2015
1st Adventure Racing World Championships, Brazil
1st Royal Belum Ironbound Challenge, Malaysia
2nd Raid Gallaecia, Spain
1st Godzone Wanaka
1st Coast to Coast Veteran (Fastest Kayak)
2014
1st Adventure Racing World Championship, Ecuador
1st Expedition Africa
1st Godzone Kaikoura
1st Geo Quest ,Australia
1st Bannockburn Rogaine
2nd Portage race
Kiwi Brevet Finisher
2013
1st Mystery Lake Adventure Race
1st Southern Lakes Adventure Race
1st Remarkables Road Run
2nd Eco Motion Pro, Brazil
1st Southern Lakes Kayak Winter Series
1st Peak to Peak (Veteran! - 4th overall)
2nd Heights of Winter
1st Wanaka Rogaine - 12-hours Timburn
1st Rollos 24-hour Adventure Race
2nd Wenzhou Outdoor Challenge, China
1st Godzone Mount Cook
3rd KBAR NZ Multisport Championships
1st Send off Summer Multisport Wanaka
2nd Clutha Classic River Race
2012
1st World Adventure Racing Championships, France
1st Ordos Adventure Challenge, China
2nd Heights of Winter
1st Portage Race
1st Godzone Milford Queenstown
1st Tierra Viva Patagonia, Argentina
6th Wulong Mountain Quest, China
2011
1st St James Rogaine
3rd Adventure Racing World Championships, Tasmania
3rd Tour de Tasman
1st Wulong Mountain Quest, China
2nd Expedition Idaho, USA
3rd Heights of Winter
29th Surf Ski World Champs, Molokai Hawaii
1st Mana Ocean Challenge
1st Tasman Bay Surf Ski Series
11th King of the Harbour
2010
1st Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge
2nd Buller Gorge Descent
3rd South Island Orienteering Championships
2nd Adventure Racing World Championships Spain
2nd Abel Tasman Coastal Classic
1st Zunyi Mountain Challenge China
2nd Wulong Mountain Quest China
3rd Tour de Tasman
1st Gibbs Hill Challenge
1st Mid Winter Triathlon
1st Heights of Winter
1st NZ Adventure Racing Championships
1st Portage Race
1st Crazyman
1st Tasman Bay Surf Ski Series
2nd National Rogaine Championships
2009
1st Rollos 24 hour race
1st 6-hour race
1st Tasman Bay Surf Ski Series
3rd Portage Race
3rd Dream Raid, New Caledonia
2008
1st Grape Ride Magnum
2nd Heights of Winter
1st Rollos 24 hour race
1st 6-hour race
2nd City Safari
2nd Coppermine Classic
2007
1st Grape Ride Magnum
2nd Rainbow Rage
1st National Rogaine Championships
2006
1st Southern Traverse
1st Rollos 24 hour race
1st PW Memorial Triathlon
2005
1st Adventure Racing World Championships NZ
1st Arrow Queenstown
1st Arrow Christchurch
1st Musselman
5th Raid Gauloises France
Bull of Africa finisher
2004
1st Primal Quest USA
1st Balance Bar Series USA
1st Arrow Hanmer
3rd Outdoor Quest Borneo
1st Rotorangi Gutbuster
1st Tuatara Banks Peninsula Race
2003
1st Outdoor Quest Borneo
1st Balance Bar LA
3rd Primal Quest USA
2002
1st Eco Challenge Fiji
1st Gorge Games USA
1st Southern Traverse NZ
5th Primal Quest USA
2001
2nd Eco Challenge NZ
2nd Adventure Racing World Championships Switzerland
5th Raid the North Canada
2000
1st Adventure Racing World Championships NZ
1999
1st Southern Traverse NZ
1st Tongariro Mountain Classic
1st PW Memorial Triathlon
2nd Speights Coast to Coast
1998
1st Motu Challenge
1st Kahurangi Endurance Triathlon
1st Musselman
1st Mangatapu Triathlon
3rd Goldrush
3rd Speights Coast to Coast
1997
1st Mangatapu Triathlon
3rd Kahurangi Endurance Triathlon
MOUNTAIN BIKING
1991-1997 NZ MTB Team – Pro/Elite XC
Adventure
It’s about the Adventure
Adventure
It’s about the Adventure
Nathan has spent his life climbing, biking, paddling and hiking his way through life and around the planet.
He has extensive experience in Sea Kayaking, having paddled in over 15-countries and many exposed trips in NZ, including 7 x Cook Strait Crossings and 3 x Stewart Island trips. As a white water kayaker he has paddled up to Class 5 and has a couple of first descents to his credit.
In the summer time he enjoys kite boarding and surf ski paddling. He is an avid trail runner and tramper. Whitewater rafting and canoeing are popular family activities for the Fa'avae crew.
In the winter he mainly skis with his family or tours the back country, plus some easy grade mountaineering trips.
He races outrigger canoes, road cycling and regularly competes in orienteering, has done a significant amount of caving and canyoning. He has traveled the planet competing in 28-countries and passing through many more.
Nathan is a Rotary New Zealand 'Paul Harris Fellow'.