We hope you enjoy our interview with Ben Kwiatkowski as much as we did! He is team captain of adventure racing team Subaru Expedition Canada. He's been up to a lot, so grab your favourite drink and enjoy!
Your team recently changed its name to Team Subaru Expedition Canada. What is the story behind the name change?
We are extremely excited to be partnering with Subaru to grow the sport of adventure racing in Canada. Not only are they supporting the team, but also other race organizations in Western Canada. In addition to an expedition length race in June 2027 held in Golden BC, we are also building the Subaru Western Canada Adventure Race Series to include more single day events.
You recently raced at Raid the Rockies, 2026 and it seemed like you would be the winners from the beginning. Team Bend Racing described your performance as "some of the best racing I can ever remember". What helped your team to hold the lead from day 1?
The key to pushing at the front for 4 days of racing was never letting off the gas. Of course that means physically, but also mentally. We were always fully engaged, making sure to always move with purpose and do everything as efficiently as possible. That way as our physical exertion was fluctuating, we could make sure that we were moving forward as best as we could. The ideas of staying efficient and moving with purpose are important for any level of competitor.
You faced an incredible mental test along the way. What happened?
During a race, there are often mandatory gear checks to make sure that the team is carrying the correct safety equipment. Unfortunately, we forgot our bear spray on one leg of the race resulting in a penalty. There was some miscommunication and later in the race we were asked to clarify if we had the bear spray on that leg. By answering truthfully, we received another penalty in the last transition area which allowed the 2nd place team to pass us and win the race. There was no hesitation in answering truthfully even though we knew it would cost us the win and a free entry to the world championships.
What did you learn from the situation?
After reflecting for a few weeks after the race, we learned a few very important lessons. The first is the idea of racing with integrity. There are times to optimize equipment in order to be light and fast. However, there is a fine line between being fast and staying safe. Although race organizations try to be as reasonably safe as possible, safety is ultimately in the hands of the racers. This is a balance between training, equipment, and good decision making. We want to win a race not because we were able to find loopholes in the rules but because we were the fastest. It can be easy to reflect on a race and find the external factors that contributed to losing time. However, a race is the sum of all parts, and it is more important to learn and grow from the areas you have control over instead of dwelling on the uncontrollable.
Your team still placed second on the podium at the award ceremony and you are ranked at an impressive #19 on Adventure Racing World Series global ranking of teams. How does that feel?
It feels amazing to see our hard work pay off! We have invested a lot in the sport the past few years and it feels great to be progressing. There is no such thing as a perfect race, and there are valuable lessons every time. Our experience is growing at the same time as the team gets stronger. The team together is always faster than any individual on their own. Although physical training is an obvious way to get faster, the next step comes with team dynamics. We are really hitting our stride as a team and look forward to climbing the rankings.
Your team also recently raced at the Adventure Racing World Championship. Tell us about the 500+ km race on the Island of Corsica, France.
Wow, what a race. It has widely been discussed as one of the most difficult and technical World Championships which we can definitely agree with. Fortunately that plays to our strengths, and we were able to do even better than we expected. The race pushed the envelope in all aspects including mountain biking single track, whitewater packrafting, mountaineering, canyoning, and navigation. We were mentally engaged the whole race and needed to make some very difficult navigation decisions. Add in some extremely taxing bushwhacking and river/boulder treks and we were pushed to our limits.
What were some of the highlights?
The highlights definitely revolved around the diverse scenery from paddling the Mediterranean at sunset (twice!) all the way up to the alpine spires on the highest point of the island. We come from a mountainous part of Canada, so the elevation change (roughly 17,000 m) was something we trained for. Each leg was unique and presented new technical challenges mixed with stunning scenery. Sometimes adventure races include a lot of easy fast travel, but this race had almost none.
Looking back, would you have done anything differently?
Something we reflected on a lot during the race was team dynamics. The start of the race was quite frustrating for us as the prologue meant we started behind 300 other racers. The technical single track during the first 12 hours unfortunately meant that passing was very difficult. This set us up to be down on ourselves, which translated to tension within the team. After we were able to iron things out and come back together, we started really racing again. The second half of the race is when we really picked up the pace and worked our way up to the front of the pack. In retrospect, the team dynamics were something we should have mended as quickly as possible not only to improve our experience during that period of time, but also help us move even faster.
Your team finished 5th out of the season’s 98 top teams at world championships! Congratulations! Any reflections?
Thank you, we are unbelievably elated and proud of what we have achieved! We had a good idea that it was possible in our careers, but we didn't think it would happen this quickly. Especially on a course that was so difficult. It goes to show that our strengths lie in technical, difficult, and mountainous courses with tough navigation. One of the hardest parts of the race was the last trek. We went into the leg in 5th place knowing that it would be a big challenge. One of the checkpoints was extremely difficult for all of the teams, and it took us 4 hours to navigate. We assumed that we had been passed by multiple teams and dropped out of podium contention. We still moved with purpose, but our pace slowed thinking that we had made a major error. Little did we know that all teams had troubles in that section. We learned at the last transition area before a short paddle to the finish that we were still in the top 5 teams. So no matter what, don't let off the gas! You never know what can happen, so always race as hard as you can.
Many new athletes and the next generation look to you as role models. What would you like them to know?
It may feel like a big step to do your first expedition race, but it is more approachable than you think. There is never a perfect time to give it a try, and you will never know if you are ready until you give it a go. All racers had to make the leap to an expedition race including us. Not long ago, the longest race I had done was only 50 km. My first expedition adventure race was the hardest thing I had ever done, but we finished! Sign up for a race, put it on the calendar, make it goal, and give it a try. Choose a race that allows options for short coursing while still staying ranked. We are designing the next Expedition Canada in Golden BC during June 2027 to be approachable by new racers while also challenging veterans as well.
What is next for you?
Next up is winter which shifts our focus to skiing! Winter is great for cross training and strengthening before our next race in Mexico this upcoming March. Although adventure racing is our passion, it is nice to step back for a few months. Race planning for June will keep our minds in the game.
If people want to get in touch with you or follow your events, where can they find you?
Look up Subaru Expedition Canada on Instagram, Facebook, and Google. Feel free to reach out anytime, we would love to chat!
Thanks Ben, all the best to you and your team!
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