12. Spirit of Poland

12. Spirit of Poland

Country: Poland
Partners: GRUPA PZU, JT,AGAP, HIAB
Team Members: Rafal Nowakowski (C), Krystian Mokrycki, Pawel Matenczuk, Agnieszka Dziadosz
Average Age: 39

    Rafal Nowakowski and his Spirit of Poland team have already been to southern Chile once—to compete in NIGSA’s Patagonian Discovery Challenge. In the Discovery Challenge, teams trek through mountains and cross rivers without the pressure of competition. When interviewed about his experience, Rafal emphasized the joy of exploring areas without the traces of other tourists.

    This February, the Spirit of Poland Team will go several steps further off the beaten tourist track. Nowakowski brings a strong team to the 2016 Patagonian Expedition Race. His team consists of Krystian Mokrycki, a professional mountain rescuer, Agnieszka Dziadosz, a repeated champion in military topography races, and Pawel Matenczuk, who can claim twenty years of military experience as well as many years organizing expeditions in the Annapurna area. Nowakowski’s own skill and bravery, evident in his long military service and work as a skydiving instructor, round out the crew.

    The Spirit of Poland is coming back to Patagonia. But this time it’s going to be for a competition…