A Woodbridge auto repair shop customer took part in a challenging competition earlier this year. In February, she will be embracing the elements and trials once again.
Kelly Shores, who has her vehicle worked on at HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire, is participating in the 2023 Winter Death Race.
Scheduled for February 9, the Spartan event will be held in Pittsfield, VT.
The Death Race consists of various activities that can range from carrying a metal bottom boat to making sure a plant stays alive.
“There’s a lot of strange challenges that you have no idea how they’re connected. You may never know, and they actually may never be connected,” Shores explained. “It’s a lot of a mental challenge as well as a physical challenge.”
This will be her third time taking part in the event. During the summer 2021 Death Race, the Fredericksburg resident was overcome with exhaustion and decided to drop out. In winter 2022, she was pulled because she had stage 2 frostbite on her feet and was nearing hypothermia.
Shores was pleased with most of the gear she used in her last race – her shoes being the exception.
“I did not adequately prepare,” she said. “I actually wore the same shoes in the winter as I did in the summer thinking, ‘Oh, well these are comfortable, you know … I’m not going to get any blisters. I’ll just put on an extra pair of socks.’ That was not the right move.”
To avoid hypothermia and frostbite, the Winter Death Race competitor plans to bring extra layers. She’s also wearing waterproof boots that are geared for – 20 degrees.
Shores started competing in Spartan races several years ago and has made updates to her training since then.
With more than 20 competitions under her belt, she is looking forward to seeing the race coordinators as well as her friends in Vermont.
“You have no idea the bonding experience that occurs when you’re … in 20 inches of snow struggling to carry a boat up the side of the mountain,” Shores added. “The bonds are just … sort of unbreakable at that point.”
This article is sponsored by HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire, an authorized Michelin and BFGoodrich tire dealer in Woodbridge, Virginia. The auto repair shop performs services on all makes and models, including wheel alignments, brakes, oil changes, inspections, and check engine light diagnostics.
