Couple plans to roll across Cain's Quest finish line

Michelle Solaro will be first female to ever compete in the Cain's Quest Snowmobile Endurance Race.

She will be joining her husband Oliver in the race, and instead of ski-doos, the couple will be racing motorcycles.

"I have a rather crazy husband," Michelle said.

The duo from Williamsford, Ontario, is in it to finish and Michelle said her husband came up with the idea to complete the race on motorcycles this fall, but they won't be traditional bikes.

The couple is getting track kits and will enhance the motorcycles by putting skis on the front and a track on the back.

Michelle explained she and her husband are avid motorcyclists, but she has never driven a snowmobile.

She doesn't expect the motorcycle to offer much in the way of wind protection or heat and the bikes can't hold as much fuel or weight as a snowmobile, but she said her husband has considered the worst-case scenarios and has given some thought to how they would acclimatize to the cold.

Michelle admitted she doesn't like the cold, but said she will try to think positively and ignore people who say they are crazy.

She said she's looking forward to doing something different and testing herself, and though she's been hitting the gym to get in good physical shape, she admits to being a little nervous. She said she's talked to people who finished the race and they indicated it takes a lot of strength and endurance to get through to the end.

Nevertheless, she said she's looking forward to it and hopes to enjoy the beautiful landscape of Labrador.

There are 24 teams registered in Cain's Quest this year, which is down from last year's 30 teams.

Jackie Greenham, race coordinator, said the economic downturn may have contributed to the lower numbers, but she doesn't think the increase in registration fees (from $1,977.50 per person last year to $2,250 per person this year) had a great effect on registration.

She said the higher fees were necessary with the extended route, bigger prize purse, and the addition of racer's insurance to the fee.

Cain's Quest will take racers through Labrador's remote wilderness including Nain, Natuashish, and Hopedale, and comes with $65,000 prize purse.

Furthermore, Greenham said more than half the teams are coming from outside of the province, including several from outside of the country.

When the race started in 2006, she noted most of the teams came from Labrador West, but Greenham said many old teams aren't racing this year because of the time and financial commitment.

She's pleased the race is attracting new participants and with the start date mere weeks away - March 13 - she anticipates another successful event.