La Ruta Maya is next weekend and teams preparations are in high gear.
This morning, we found two canoes on the water preparing for the final stretch coming into the city. Cherisse Halsall has the story:
It was a practice run this morning for two teams set to compete in next week's La Ruta Maya. Two canoes set on the glistening waters of the Belize river.
And this morning when we met up with these young paddlers, it was to see their youthful energy set within the ageless conflict of man vs. nature. They were keen to show off their passion for the elemental challenge along with their drive to win.
And, that drive for most young men on these teams is an inherited one after a childhood watching or riding along with family members on Belize's waterways. And that's just how frontman Carlos Linares got his start.
Carlos Linares, Frontman, Paddler
"Well, I started 8 years ago. I was a kid and I saw my family were paddling so I decided to take a try and I got to love the sport so that it why I am here now."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Alright, talk to me about this upcoming race now, what are you planning for, what will be the challenges when this La Ruta Maya?"
Carlos Linares, Frontman, Paddler
"Well, we have been preparing since November, uh, this year La Ruta Maya will be pretty tough since we have. A lot of big guns out there so, but we are expecting to do pretty well."
"I am paddling. With Enrique Cruz and Cristian Lopez, uh, like I mentioned we have been training so those guys are pretty tough and strong so I think we are capable of doing good."
Enrique Cruz says paddling was a tough sport to get into but that once he got the hang of it he was all in.
Enrique Antonio Cruz, Paddler
"I'm confident because I have two strong paddlers, they have already paddled with two other team mates but me and - have already done one year together so, we feel good about that."
"I don't move faster than anyone else but we try to follow the rhythm that the boatman carries, yeah. He has to take that rhythm and then we have to follow. I have one son and a wife."
Cherisse Halsall:
"How do they feel about the fact that you are in the race?"
Enrique Antonio Cruz, Paddler
"Well, they feel proud, and they encourage me to continue."
And rounding out that first team is dedicated paddler, Cristian Lopez, who told us that even on the water, he feeds from the fan frenzy:
Cristian Lopez, Paddler
"The fans motivate you to keep jamming and I love this sport here, I grew up watching my family do it so I just want to get into it and the first time I tried it I just got to love it."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Talk to me about this race, what the challenges are, and how you plan to overcome them."
Cristian Lopez, Paddler
"Well, this. Race right here will be hard there are a lot of fast teams. I know we are not that fast but I am. Confident in my two, my frontman and my middle man that we could do something for this Ruta Maya, I know we can win this. I just put in my time and sacrifice myself."
Cherisse Halsall:
"So after you win the race what are your next plans?"
Cristian Lopez, Paddler
"Well, thank God we have an opportunity to go out to the U.S. to try to represent Belize and hopefully we go out there and represent it."
And this morning our 7News team got a preview of the representation we can expect from these teams next weekend, Their skill, pace and cadence was on ample display this morning as they rounded the bend in the river to Manatee landing at the end of a triumphant lap. Their hope is that when they do it again next weekend, they'll do it at the front of the crowd.
Jimmy Donis, Paddler
"Well, this year it's going to be ver challenging for me because I'm going C2 and that's only two persons in a canoe, it's not like paddling with two other teammates, noh. So this year is going to be very rough, and tiring."
"My team consist of Jose, Giron, he's my bra-lee, and well I. Have a strong feeling we can win the category and we have been training for a while now so I believe we can do. Good this year."
"I like the challenge, I like the adrenaline, and making my people proud, noh."
And the inspiration to get started was no different for the youngest in the group. At just 14 years old Brian Cruz told us that he was joining in a very long-held tradition of paddlers from the west.
Brian Cruz, Paddler
"Well because I saw my uncle and my whole family is doing this, that's why and they inspired me to do it so I wanted to paddle."
Cherisse Halsall:
"In your wildest dreams, how is this gonna go this weekend?"
Brian Cruz, Paddler
"Well, it will be hard because we have a lot of people to compete with and they are fast and tough so it's going to be hard. It's going to be hard for us to come in first in our category so we will try."
The Ruta Maya 2023 runs from March 3rd to March 6th.
