Mark Macy from World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji has Alzheimer's Disease. He and son Travis raced together during the grueling competition.
World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji features a lot of people from different backgrounds and one of those people is a tough and resilient man named Mark Macy. Trekking it with Team Endure, Mark and his son Travis have gone on quite a journey in this ultimate expedition race.
Hosted by an enthusiastic Bear Grylls, World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji features 66 teams of four or five. These groups have to make their way across challenging terrain while keeping their teams intact. Rules state that the expedition is non-stop. Teams may only utilize a map and compass, so there is no 20th-century technology available to these modern-day adventurers. Of course, the first team to cross is the winner, but some groups don't even make it to the finish line. In this competition, finishing is a feat in itself. Jogging into the spotlight of expert adventurers is Mark Macy. This World's Toughest Race pro has been on plenty of expeditions.
In a short exposé about the multiple terrain voyager, Reality T*tbit documented that Mark Macy has been racing since 1995. That was the year he participated in the first Eco-Challenge series. In that daring charge, he was teamed up with his original group, Stray Dogs. His son Travis Macy explains in a Facebook interview video that he and his father planned to race in this new season, on two separate teams. Mark was to rejoin his Stray Dogs crew and Travis would find another "elite" team that would hopefully place high, in addition to crossing the finish line. Travis went on to say that while he was growing up, all he wanted was to be an adventurer like his father. "I was out there riding my bike and running in the woods," Travis remarked while talking about his teenage years. In World's Toughest Race, Mark and his son found the perfect opportunity to compete, but their plans changed when Mark received his Alzheimer's diagnosis.
The 58-year-old explorer could no longer venture around with his team, as they may not have been able to support him as much as they needed him to during the arduous World's Toughest Race challenges. However, his situation changed their motivation. It was no longer about a trophy or placing, but family. Travis explained that it made him "want to do the race together", going on to say that "To do this race with my dad is a priceless, once in a lifetime experience, and I am far more excited to go out here and race with Dad and go slow and try to make it through than I would be if I was racing for the podium."
The father-son duo formed a World's Toughest Race team of their own. Mark and Travis' Team Endure has raced across the Fiji landscape, joined by Danelle Ballengee, Shane Sigle, and Andrew Speers. Not only does the team race against forces of nature and other competitors, Mark Macy races against the progression of Alzheimer's. His son stays him every step of the way, spending as much time with him as he can. In a tough race like this, Travis is able to witness his father's expertise and grit, and both can cherish the experience. Mark will certainly be able to enjoy the company of his son. Alzheimer's Disease takes its toll on patients and their families, but Mark and Travis have found a way to share adventure while they can.
World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji is available on Amazon Prime
Source: Reality Ti*bit, Travis Macy, Mark Macy
