9. Team Patagonia Germany

9. Team Patagonia
Germany

Country: Germany
Sponsors: Ortlieb, Icebreaker, Gococo, Lupine Lighting Systems, Alexika, EnergyOatSnack, Simpert Reiter GmbH / travellunch, Cathay Pemmikan, Dr. Loges
Team Members: Andre Hook (C), Wolfgang Grohe, Yvonne Schonbach, Alex Glantz
Average Age: 34.25

    Andre Hook and Wolfgang Grohé are brothers-in-law, but they are also brothers in adventure. When Andre married Wolfgang’s sister, the two men quickly found a shared interest in extreme sports. They ran marathons together, swam in long-distance races, and even crossed the Alps—hiking all the way from Munich to Venice with some climbing excursions in between. Somewhere in those mountains they met Yvonne Schönbach and talked all night, impressed by her stories of obstacle race competitions. On a separate trip, this time to Sweden to participate in the Ötillö Swimrun Championships, they met aspiring triathlete Alex Glantz. They immediately hit it off. “When we heard about the Patagonian Expedition Race,” said Andre, “we instantly knew who to call.”

    While nervous about sleep deprivation and staying oriented in the mountains, the four friends are confident they can make it to the end. “In our team, we only have endurance athletes that know how to bite through a long and difficult race,” said Andre. They are participating for fun, but “also hope for a good result, and maybe even a spot on the podium.” Team Patagonia Germany will be one of two teams representing Germany in this year’s expedition race.