'This year is an opportunity': The 1000 Mile Challenge participants prepare to take off on N.B. trails

The 1000 Mile Challenge is returning to New Brunswick and this year's participants have been chosen.

The challenge, which requires extreme endurance, sees two snowmobilers set off on a 24-hour mission to travel 1,000 miles on New Brunswick snowmobile trails.

Funds raised from the challenge will be used to send children to summer camps, who would otherwise be unable to afford to go.

This year, Rudi Fowler and Sam Charters were chosen to take on the trek.

It is Charters' first year doing the challenge, whereas Fowler is coming in with experience.

"I'm trusting Rudi," Charters said. "He did it last year, so I'm going to be following tail lights. It's a lot of unknown, it's nerve wracking that way. The most miles I've ever done was 340 in a day."

Right now, the two are in the preparation stage, focusing both body and mind, as well as on mechanics. They say checking their sleds before the journey is an important factor.

"There's the mechanical side of things. We're really going over the machines, we want to make sure everything's perfect, so there's no time to stop. We can't have a failure," said Fowler.

The pair says the thrill is putting a smile on children’s faces.

"I felt it was something I could do to make a difference for kids' lives," said Charters.

According to Stephen Alward, the executive director of Green Hill Lake Camp in Greenhill, N.B., the funds from last year's challenge made a big impact.

"Sixty-five families benefited from their efforts. It was a significant challenge," said Alward. "When I was able to talk to parents, we get requests for scholarship funds to help kids get to camp and help families make it happen all time. It made such a difference knowing the funds were there."

This year, funds will be donated to five camps across New Brunswick.

"If we didn't do it, then kids just wouldn't go to camp. So, last year was a personal goal, this year is an opportunity," Fowler said.

Fowler said they've even thought of ways to try and grow the challenge more.

"We took so many notes from last year and we realized just how much better we could make it," said Fowler. "So, we had a lot of potential in this and people really grabbed hold of it, especially once the event got started. They were captivated by it."

Fowler and Charters' 1000 Mile Challenge journey takes off on March 10.

Anyone who would like to donate towards the cause can do so on the challenge's website.