Three-time Coast to Coast champion Braden Currie is as successful competing in endurance-length multisport races, as he is in the shorter, intense, off-road triathlon XTERRA events.
In recognition of his relentless determination, success over a range of different disciplines and impressive physical abilities, Subaru of New Zealand has taken the Wanaka athlete on as its newest Brand Ambassador.
To enable Braden (29) to reach his training and racing destinations, Subaru of New Zealand will ensure he is out and about in a Subaru Forester this summer. One of the marque’s largest SUV models, the Forester ensures Braden can easily transport a kayak, mountain (or road) bike and his running kit to the Southern Lakes’ mountains, rivers and trails that constitute his ‘office’.
“I am fortunate to be able to make a living as a professional athlete and to live in a location that provides such an incredible natural environment to train in. My Subaru is ideal for my lifestyle as I can throw my kayak and mountain bike on the roof system, which is at an easily accessible height. Then I still have the whole boot free to load up with the dog and any other gear I might need for a mission that day,” Braden says.
After basing himself in the United States for the past six months, Braden bought the silver medal for the XTERRA US Pro Series home to Wanaka in September. Also stowed in his suitcase was the ITU USA Off-Road Triathlon trophy. This is the first time in history a Kiwi has taken the title from an American athlete.
Braden has demonstrated his athletic dexterity by amassing a collection of titles. Currently, he is the three-time World Multisport Champion, USA Off-Road Champion, New Zealand Long Distance Champion and Australasian XTERRA Champion. His race statistics are similarly impressive.
In the past two years Braden has competed in 32 events, finishing on the podium in 95 per cent of them and winning 41 per cent of the races.
Subaru of New Zealand Marketing Manager Daile Stephens is looking forward to the company continuing the long association it has had with multisport over the years.
“Multisporters embody the adventurous spirit we believe Subaru represents for New Zealanders. We see Braden as both enhancing this brand image and taking it to a whole new level. He has established himself as an elite athlete at home and internationally. Braden is a force to be reckoned with - both on and off road. Like our Subaru vehicles, he is durable, capable and his performance isn’t diminished on rough terrain!” Mrs Stephens says.
After spending the past two New Zealand winters travelling the Northern Hemisphere, with his family, racing throughout Europe, Canada and the United States, Braden plans to predominantly stay put in New Zealand for the coming year. His events will be based mostly over in Australia and will be a mixture of on-road half ironman, adventure racing and off-road triathlons.
“Because I compete in such a variety of disciplines, which are mostly off-road, I have the opportunity to train and have adventures in the rugged NZ environment, which I love. I am really looking forward to combining more of my training with adventure missions in my Subaru over the next 18 months, while we remain full time within NZ,” Braden says.
Family time is also important to Braden and having a Subaru SUV enables him to travel away with them in safety and comfort.
“The awesome thing about having a Subaru Forester is that my wife Sally and I, with our two young kids Tarn and Bella can head away on family missions to access anywhere we want to go. We live really busy lives, so it’s nice to find quieter more remote places to get away. Having the ability to fit in everything we need in the car and on top of the car has always been a big priority for us. The safety aspect of the vehicle is also really important as we have two children and want to make sure we minimise the risk that driving poses, as much as we can.”
Subaru’s All Wheel Drive technology – available in all its vehicles - delivers engine power to all four wheels simultaneously. Having power distributed across all four wheels, rather than two on conventional vehicles, gives the driver twice the grip capacity.
Further augmenting Subaru’s across the range five star safety ratings is the EyeSight®technology, which is now available in the Forester 2.5i Premium and Forester 2.0XT Premium models. Using three-dimensional images captured by cameras mounted at the top of the front windscreen, EyeSight® monitors the road ahead and recognises potentially dangerous driving situations.
Braden has plenty of long-haul drives ahead this summer as he prepares to defend his Coast to Coast crown for the fourth time. Travelling from Wanaka to Arthurs Pass to train on the gruelling west to east coast course, he is pleased the Forester has a diesel variant - best suited to long-range driving - and perfect for keeping the filling-up bills down with its frugal fuel economy.
Following a focused block of mountain biking, trail running and swim training, Braden has travelled to Hawaii this week, with a win at the World XTERRA Championships firmly in his sights. Here he will go head to head with some of the best athletes on the planet on November 1. Subaru of New Zealand wishes Braden the best of luck as he embarks on the 1.5km open water swim, followed by a technical, steep, 32km mountain bike on the slopes of the west Maui mountains and finally the 10km trail run, in his bid to collect the XTERRA World Championship’s winner’s tape at the finish line.
For further information, please contact Subaru of New Zealand Public Relations - Catherine Pattison (027) 4455 389