A Nanaimo woman took the term ѻýknock yourself outѻý literally when she entered ѻý and won ѻý a cheese-chase race during her trip to Europe.
Delaney Irving, 19, had been travelling with a friend and they decided theyѻýd go watch a cheese-rolling race near Gloucester, England, that annually draws hundreds of people to watch and compete.
The event on Cooperѻýs Hill ѻý a near-vertical slope where competitors run, stumble and tumble down as they try to catch a three-kilogram wheel of double Gloucester cheese ѻý was held Monday, May 29.
ѻýWe decided that we should go watch the race, so we headed over to England for that reason,ѻý said Irving, in an e-mail interview. ѻýWe only decided about a day or two before the race that we would compete in it. I heard about the race a few years ago when my dad showed me a video of it. I never thought Iѻýd be competing in it but here we are.ѻý
There were about two dozen cheese chasers in the womenѻýs division.
ѻýAs soon as the cheese was pushed down the hill, we were off,ѻý she said. ѻýMy strategy was to just roll as soon as I felt myself falling and I ended up rolling down most of the hill. At the very end of the hill I got back up onto my feet, but soon after fell on my head and rolled across the finish line unconscious.ѻý
She was unconscious for about two minutes and was taken to a medical tent where she came to and started to piece together what had happened and that she had won the race. She later went to a hospital for a precautionary CT scan, which showed everything was OK.
ѻýMy body is pretty bruised and achy, but other than that Iѻým good,ѻý Irving said. ѻýIѻým very lucky that I didnѻýt hurt my head too badly.ѻý
And the reward for going through her ordeal?
ѻýThe prize was the seven-pound cheese and a scarf ѻý and bragging rights,ѻý Irving said.
She flies back to Canada this week, when she will find out if she can bring the cheese wheel home in her carry-on bag, but she thinks sheѻýll have to check it in with her luggage and she already has plans for the cheese when she gets back to Nanaimo.
ѻýOnce I get back Iѻýll have some friends and family over and weѻýll have the ultimate charcuterie board,ѻý she said.
Irving said sheѻýd like to return, one day, to Cooperѻýs Hill, but not necessarily as a competitor.
ѻýI would definitely go back to watch againѻýѻý she said. ѻýBut now that Iѻýve done it and won it, Iѻým not in a huge rush to fling myself down a hill again,ѻý she said.
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chris.bush@nanaimobulletin.com
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