Adventure racing is not for everyone, it is a grueling sport where the main goal is just to survive. These teams push themselves through intense challenges in harsh natural environments for the love of the sport and the thrills.
Team Peak Performance was looking forward to the biggest event of the year-The World Championships in Ecuador. The rules of the competition are simple, the team must climb, ski, cycle and kayak across hundreds of miles of treacherous terrain to be the fist ones to cross the finish line.
"If you want to be the best in this sport, you have to suffer," said Team Peak Performances tam captain, Mikael Lindord.
Lindord's team hoped to win the championship that year and were well prepared. The race would cover 435 miles and 13 different climate zones.
On Day 4 the team made it to the transition area where they switched from bikes to trekking. They were only an hour behind the leaders and were feeling good about their chances.
Lindord noticed a dog wandering through the site. The dog had a bad gash, matted fur and flies hovering around him. People took notice of the dog but no one wanted to touch him for fear of diseases. Lindord decided that he would share some of his pre-rationed food with the sad-looking dog.
As Team Peak Performance left the transition site they noticed that the dog had followed them. He kept his distance at first but he was definitely following them. He continued to follow them through some of the most difficult parts of the race. Soon, he became part of the team.
They shared their scarce food with him and tried out different names until Arthur stuck. His determination and courage reminded the team of King Arthur and felt that it was an appropriate name for their new teammate.
Arthur stayed with the team until they came to the kayaking portion of the race and the officials told them they could not have a dog for a 14 hour paddle. When the pushed off the bank to begin they looked back and saw that Arthur had jumped in and was determined to swim next to his teammates in the kayak.
Lindord decided they could not leave him behind and he pulled Arthur in between his knees and began the kayak portion.
The team and Arthur crossed the finish line in twelfth place.
When word about Arthur got around to the Ecuadorian team they warned Lindord that if Arthur stayed in Ecuador he would be killed.
Lindord knew what he had to do and called his wife to make sure he could bring Arthur back home with him.
Arthur and the team made another long-trek on a plane from Ecuador to Sweden where Arthur was immediately rushed into surgery for his large wounds that the veterinarian believed were a result of being beaten.
It was touch-and-go for awhile but after a four-month quarantine Arthur finally found a home and a family in Sweden with Lindord.
Lindord and Arthur officially retired from adventure racing to focus on their family.