If you’re keen to test your physical fitness and mental stamina, while also standing the chance to win a brand new Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 4x2, then be sure to enter the Toyota Fortuner Challenge.
But what can we expect from this year’s event? No one knows for sure, but glancing back at the 2021 event gives us a good idea of how challenging, as well as rewarding, this competition can be.
Last year’s event was won by pilot Anneri Kemp who emerged as the first female winner of the competition. She had paired up with Dakar star Giniel de Villiers, who will again be one of the celebrity heros this year, alongside Oupa Mohoje, Grace Motswana and Bianca Buitendag.
Last year’s Fortuner Challenge kicked off at the Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa, where six challenges were laid out for the participants.
The first task required the contestants to saddle up on their Specialized mountain bike and tackle a trail ride.
Following that, the Specialized Capture the Flag unfolded at the nearby 'pump track', where mathematical dexterity and physical peddling-power would converge. The hero-partner would need to solve mathematical riddles from atop a watchtower and guide their partner to collect numerical flags in a pre-determined sequence.
Next up, the hero-contestant pairs had to command their Toyota Fortuners across an off-road obstacle course in the Salomon Fortuner 4x4 Challenge, where some tense moments were experienced by participants and on-lookers alike.
After returning to the Kloofzicht home base, the fourth task took to the water where the Garmin Raft Regatta saw teams navigating to specific coordinates where they would locate raft-building materials. The end goal was to build a raft that could transport them across the dam to the checkpoint. But this challenge proved so difficult that all four teams received a DNF.
The Garmin Archers Edge challenge then took contestants to a crossbow shooting station, where a close battle ensued.
Finally, the Quartz Lubricants Obstacle Course challenged contestants to numerous obstacles, which included a netted wall and gymnast-like parallel bars, and the teams had to pull their Toyota Fortuner in a titanic tug-of-war using only a rope and their body weight.
But there was a final twist, which came in the form of a Toyota Gaming Engine (TTGE) simulator race, using the winning Toyota Yaris WRC car and WRC 9 game.
So what are you waiting for? You can click here to enter or SMS the keyword "Challenger" followed by your name, surname, telephone number and level of fitness from 1 - 10 (with 1 being not fit and 10 being very fit) to 33258. SMS’s charged at R1.50 and T's & C's apply. The competition is run by Toyota and no prizes are guaranteed by Independent Media.