Nadine Blanchette, a citizen of Vaudreuil-Dorion, had quite an adventure from October 19 to 24, when she took part in the 23rd Trophée Roses des sables. For the occasion, she flew to Morocco alongside her friend from Beauce, Joëlle Pelchat, to live this extreme experience of surpassing oneself. Néomédia talks to the woman who returned home a week ago.

Just over seven days after her return, she still can't find the words to describe her experience. “ It's definitely an adventure that's bigger than us. One day you feel like you're not competent enough to take on the challenge, and the next day you feel super powerful. It requires a level of self-transcendence that I never expected. When you're there, you realize how well organized everything is on the ground, and how everything is in place to enable you to get on with your day-to-day life,” she says from the outset.

In addition to the physical and mental effort required to take part in this race, Nadine had to deal with the distance from her loved ones. “ In the desert, my cell phone bugged and I couldn't communicate with my loved ones, except by text message. So I was totally disconnected. It wasn't easy. It wasn't until I got to Marrakech that I was able to talk to them on video. In spite of everything, I was happy and grateful to be able to live this experience", she confides.

A great adventure...but which leaves physical after-effects 

Nadine and Joëlle flew to Morocco on October 15 and returned two weeks later. However, it was only last weekend, November 2 and 3, that Nadine was able to recover from jet lag. “It must be said that the time change did not help,” she notes. 

However, it was not in one piece that Nadine returned home. In fact, the young woman injured her shoulder during the adventure.   “The start was good. However, at the end of the third ride, I injured my shoulder when I made a very sudden movement while driving. I tried to avoid a civilian who was on the dunes in the desert. I found myself behind the wheel of a pick-up. Fortunately, the worst was avoided and the lady was able to be moved by the organizing committee. For my part, I was taken care of by the race medical team and the therapists,” she notes.  Despite their intervention, the 4th race of the team of Nadine and Joëlle ended in pain and tears for the one behind the wheel. Then, the organizers announced to the duo that they had to withdraw due to the pilot's injury.

“My co-driver, who was not driving manual, refused this decision and showed incredible resilience. As she learned on the job and in really difficult circumstances to drive and manage a manual gearbox, she misanticipated an escarpment and we took it in third gear, so we did a slight glide with a sudden landing. There was a mechanical breakdown following this incident, but since the day before we had been hearing a metallic tinkling sound, so it was only a matter of time before it gave way. At the end of the day, we lost a few places, but at least we were able to move forward and continue,” she says. 

Subsequently, Nadine was able to resume her place behind the wheel. In the end, the pair took 38th place out of a hundred teams. “We are very proud of the result. Especially because this challenge strengthened our bond and our friendship. We are also very surprised to have only had one collision lasting five minutes at most. »

And what about the temperature?  “It’s cold at night there. We're talking about 5 to 10 degrees in the desert. During the day, it is around 24 degrees. We were so exhausted at the end of the day that we would drop from fatigue without asking any questions. We managed the heat well. We slept in a luxury camp. Each team had its own tent and we had access to sinks, toilets and even showers. Food and water were also provided. Lunches and dinners were prepared for us. For dinner, each team had to take care of it. Almost all participants lost weight during the activity because it was physically and mentally demanding. »

More than surpassing onesel

Would she recommend it to friends? " Yes. If they are ready to do anything and surpass themselves, certainly. You must be aware that this is an adventure where you must not let yourself be held back by fear or the obstacles encountered on the route. At the end of each day, we think we have reached our endurance limit. But we have to start again the next day,” she says. 

Among the anecdotes to be told by the pair, we can cite this one. ”The girls got stuck in the sand twice on the first day of racing. For what? Nadine couldn't find the button to use four-wheel drive on the vehicle. Someone from the organization had to show him where he was. “It’s surprising that we got this far with only two-wheel drive,” she says. 

Looking back, what does she remember from her time in the desert? “That there is always a solution for every problem or obstacle before us. You have to trust life and keep moving forward. Every situation makes us grow. I also remember that we are never alone, even in the middle of the Moroccan desert (laughs),” she philosophizes.

Doing your part for four causes 

Did the pair take advantage of their participation in this challenge to do a little tourism in Morocco? "Certainly. We went to Marrakech where we took a camel ride. It's special, especially when you have to get off (laughs). We also strolled on foot through the souks which look like outdoor public markets. We didn't have a specific schedule, we just wanted to enjoy our freedom. We were at a stage where we needed it.”

Now that she is back in the comfort of her home, Nadine will spend the next few weeks treating her shoulder tendinitis. Barely back, she already dreams of going on an adventure again and reliving an experience similar to a duo rally, but this time with her lover.

“I think he would like that.” He is as adventurous as I am. I saw that we could do it as a couple...so why not? », concludes the intrepid adventurer.