Whatever the list of the Portuguese orienteering's most
important personalities in the recent
years, the names of Raquel Costa and Tiago Aires will be there,
surely. To the high quality as athletes, they gather the pleasure and
the will to share experiences and knowledge, which turn them into high
values in the World of orienteering. Adding to this the professional
quality in the Cartographic field, we have enough material for an
interesting and enriching Interview.
2015 came to an ending with the
After Christmas Training Camp, an initiative of your portuguese club,
GafanhOri. How do you rate the event?
Raquel Costa (R. C.) - I think
it was very positive, not only because of the 150 entered athletes
but also for their feedback. We are conscious of the work and quality
behind this Training Camp and, those who had been with us understood
that and will return next year, certainly, bringing with them some
other participants. We believe that this Training Camp concept has
fully conditions to point out the beginning of the new season, not
only for the Portuguese but for several other countries' athletes.
Proving it is the presence of many Spanish athletes, exactly 25, from
the National Junior and Elite teams. You may see the maps, photos and
further information of the After Christmas Training Camp's two last
editions at http://afterchristmas.weebly.com/.
How important are the Training Camps
in Portugal, this time of the season?
Tiago Aires (T. A.) - The
Training Camps, from January to March, are really valuable to
Orienteering and to our country, although it's my opinion that we are
underestimating its potential. There are few sports having in
Portugal, for two or three months every year, their epicenter,
receiving the visit of world's best athletes for a long period of
training and holding competitions in challenging maps and a mild
weather. This phenomenon should stimulate the creation of instruments
managed by the Portuguese Orienteering Federations, in order to
facilitate to our visitors the acquisition of maps, booking
accommodation, providing information, answering questions, etc.
The search for places in Spain is
improving again and there are some “emergent” countries, namely
Turkey, that start being highly demanding for this kind of activities
during the winter season. Is Portugal, still, the Mecca for
orienteers from all over the World or are we lagging behind?
T. A. - I don't think that
Portugal has ceased to be the Orienteering's Mecca in the beginning
of the season, but we must understand as natural this searching for
new destinations. An orienteer is as best athlete as bigger is
his/her capability of adaptation to new terrains. Fortunately,
Portugal has several different terrains within a small and easily
accessible area. Mountains in the North, sand dunes and pine forest
by the sea, the Alentejo, a vast region with really fast and detailed
terrains, the Viseu's region, with a lot of high quality forest
terrains and the Algarve, where is possible to find ideal training
conditions because of the gentle weather in this particular region
all over the year.
Looking back to 2015, there was a
very special moment. I'm talking about your stay in Halden and the
start of a new project under the colors of a new club. How did you
deal with the change?
R. C. - I would say that moving
to Halden and living in a different country for five months wasn't
difficult. We didn't feel the culture shock, mostly because we were
lucky by knowing some athletes and coaches there in the same
condition, displaced from their original countries and with whom was
possible to establish a close relationship. It was a really
interesting and enlightening project in several ways. We've been able
to work, training and competing in, probably, the best Orienteering
club in the World. Halden Skiklubb has more than 700 affiliate
members and its a club that breathes orienteering for decades. A big
number of orienteering's prominent names, currently and from the
past, live in Halden.
T. A. - I would highlight, also,
the fact of receiving regularly feedback about our work from some of
the best athletes and coaches. It was, absolutely, very stimulating
to our improvement. About the way how the club works, it is
interesting to watch and take part on the club's routine. As an
athlete, it was really rewarding to be able to participate regularly
in the club's trainings and competing in nordic terrains.
I believe that your stay in Halden
was mainly related to map making. How challenging are the nordic
terrains to a cartographer?
R. C & T. A. - We feel that
we are better cartographers now than we were when arriving to Halden.
We are talking, mostly, about details , insignificant for the common
athlete but really important because of its connection with the map reading
and its legibility. To be able to work with base maps, by using a
laser scanning system (LIDAR) with an incredibly huge quality, was
also a very interesting experience, also because of the working
production of our own base maps.
Have you one or two curious episodes
about the life and day of two Portuguese cartographers in the
Norwegian forests?
R. C. - In the forests we hardly
find a funny episode. It's a space of quietness where, sporadically,
we can meet one person walking or running and some deers, foxes or
elks, trying to escape from our views. On the contrary, in the urban
areas, where we also produced a map, the inhabitants called the
police to identify me. They probably noticed my specially dangerous
presence and my terrifying look (laughs).
Could you mention the season's
highest moments in terms of your participation in competitions?
T. A. - The peak of the season
was expected to be the presence in the World Cup stage in Halden and
the World Championships in Scotland. Unfortunately, the week before
leaving to Halden, I fall down during the Portuguese Championships
and had to stop running for three months. By the way, I would like to
thanks to Dr. Armando Soto, chiropractor in Halden, that restlessly
took care of me and did everything to help me to fully recover. After
that, I confined myself to take full advantage of the maps around
Halden, without a specific training plan. So, the highest moments
were the participation in 25 Manna and the Blodslittet. The presence
in the Night Hawk (a six athletes relay in Norway) and the 25 Manna
(a 25 athletes relay in Sweden) were really fun. I can't say they
were high moments in terms of results or performances, but it was
something different and new for me. Absolutely!
How did you follow “from the
outside” the Portuguese presence in the World Orienteering
Championships?
R. C. - Knowing the non-existing
conditions to prepare the WOC in a very specific terrain as we find
in Scotland, unable to meet similar terrains and without a regular
presence in some major international competitions, I would say that
the results reached by the Portuguese are normal, within the
expected.
And what about the WOC overall?
T. A. - Proudly and emotionally,
I would highlight the Spanish Andreu Blanes' 7th place in the Sprint
Final. Like the Portuguese, the Spanish athletes are the perfect
example by how, with few conditions but tons of courage and
dedication, to get far away. I believe Antonio Martínez and Andreu
Blanes are important pieces by inspiring athletes from all over the
Iberian Peninsula to reach their goals and being a great help to a
really motivated new generation.
Your work in recent years as coaches
and the good results achieved by the Portuguese youth teams under
your command are a real “trademark”. How do you evaluate the
Portuguese Orienteering's present moment, particularly about the
youngsters?
T. A. - We can only ask more and
better to our athletes if we are able to improve their conditions in
terms of preparation and planning. So, it's indispensable the
necessary sensitivity and, of course, financial support. Looking to
our reality, I think the only way to change the current paradigm is
to deeply modify the way the Portuguese Orienteering Federation works
and set new goals based on a new global long term in strategic
planning.
A new season has already started
and, with it, some new challenges, I believe. Will you continue your
work in Halden?
R. C. & T. A. - We have, as
usual, lots of working demands in Spain and France during 2016. And,
joining it, we have once again the interest of Halden SK, this time
for the production of the Norwegian Championships 2017's maps.
Unfortunately, we aren't able to work the whole required area in
Halden. We are also interested, the best possible way, to keep our
commitment to the Portuguese orienteering's development, through map
making, organizing events and other local projects.
What are your goals for 2016?
T. A. - Professionaly, the
biggest projects are the Norwegian Championships 2017, the Portugal
O' Meeting 2017 in Crato and Portalegre and some other maps in the
Iberian Peninsula. As athlete, I would like to participate in the WOC
in Strömstad, Sweden, compete whenever possible in the Portuguese
League, participate in the ATRP Trail Circuit and run some Mountain
Trails.
R. C. - In 2016 I want to
continue doing orienteering, running some events and embrace some
new challenges.
[Follow Raquel Costa and Tiago Aires on
their page on Facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/mapmakeroart.
Photo courtesy Tiago Aires]
Joaquim Margarido