Fearless competitors become enduring couple during gruelling 'Race to Alaska'

SAANICH, B.C. — Before she earned the nickname ‘Madame Oaracle,’ Janice Mason was searching for rowers to embark on a daunting voyage.

“Everyone said, ‘Oh that would be a great trip,’” Janice recalls, “but, ‘Oh no! I don’t want to do it!’”

Their reason was likely fear.

Because despite the prospect of winning a top prize of $10,000, or that second prize set of steak knives, Janice was asking people to compete in ‘The Race to Alaska,’ which required participants to travel 1,200 km along the unpredictable coast of B.C. without a motor.

“I just love pushing myself really hard,” Janice smiles. “And when you’re done, you have that feeling of accomplishment.”

Janice eventually found a crew of sailors up for the challenge of paddling the boat whenever there was no wind.

Before the race, they encouraged Janice to suss out the competition.

At the same time, a competing crew was suggesting that Ian Graeme do something similar.

“It was a little bit of a recon mission,” Ian smiles.

That was when Ian happened upon Janice.

“I went out to shake Ian’s hand and he gave be a big hug,” Janice recalls with a big smile. “It was nice!”

Despite an instant connection, Janice and Ian were competitors. So it wasn’t until after they completed the race by sail that she contacted Ian about her interest in being the first to race by row boat.

“She threw a little bit of bait in front of me and I picked it up,” Ian smiles. “I said, ‘Sure I’ll do it!’”

One thing led to another, and at the start of the next year’s race, Janice and Ian embarked on what would become the longest first date of their lives.

“We have very similar interests,” Ian says. “We like the physical and mental challenge of things.”

The called themselves ‘Team Oaracle,’ a punny misspelling of the word to reference the oars they were using to race, and to Janice’s habit of picking a daily tarot card to offer a fun insight on the experience.

While she earned the nickname ‘Madame Oaracle,’ she was selecting her card with increasingly blistered hands.

“It’s a lot of work,” Janice says. “You’re exhausted from eight to 12 hours of continuous exercise.”

Then you have to find a place to camp along the shore, and do it all over again next day, before finishing the race after 23 days straight.

“But when it was over,” Ian says, “we both said we need to do this again together.”

So the next year they raced in a double kayak. Now Janice and Ian are in the midst of their 4th race together.

“I think it makes our relationship a lot stronger,” Ian says, “going through those challenges together.”

Because despite the inevitable ups and downs, the race is a reminder to never give up hope, and keep moving forward.

“And it’s like that in life,” Ian says before showing me photos from the race of whales swimming in front of them and the breathtaking sunset surrounding them. “There’s all these positive opportunities around the next corner.”

Although ‘Team Oaracle’ has never earned that cash prize or those steak knives, they did pull a cherished tarot card.

“The Lovers,” Janice smiles. “That’s a good one for Ian and I.”

The friendly competitors turned enduring couple couldn’t be more grateful for the priceless prize of sharing these moments together.