Jessica Chee loves challenges. Two years ago, she read about the R.AGE Spirit of KL competition that got hundreds of youths running around Kuala Lumpur city, each team eyeing RM10,000 in cold hard cash.

Soon after, she found that the competition was going up north, ie the Spirit of Penang. Together with four of her schoolmates in Penang Chinese Girls High School, they registered themselves to compete as team Sooo Lame.

"We loved games and decided to join since it was held in Penang," says Jessica, who now studies in University Sedaya College International in Kuala Lumpur.

The two-day challenge saw 200 teams scouring the streets of George Town to complete tasks and soak up the essence of the historic city. Participants travelled on foot and had a chance to experience Penang at it really is.

Going coconuts! - Some of the crazy tasks participants had to perform

They also made trips to popular places like the second hand bookstore in Chowrasta market and learned first-hand about old trades like the making of joss sticks and rattan furniture in narrow prewar shophouses in the inner city.

Of course, the teams also had to race against time and complete their task as fast as possible.

Twenty teams made it into the finals, and Jessica's team Sooo Lame was one of them.

"We were still racing and our research member SMS-ed us that four teams had already arrived. We still had one station to go.

"We hoped to be the fifth but we came in 10th. It was very nice lah," says Jessica.

Some finalists had their first experience of paddling in a dragon boat and riding on a lorry to get to their starting point for the final leg. Jessica had a lot of 'first time' in the competition as well, such as chewing sugar cane, which was one of the tasks.

"The craziest thing was running around Penang. I'm a Penangite but not very familiar with the town area. We were lost at one point and it was so embarrassing!" she adds.

Spirit of Penang was just one of the exciting events that R.AGE organised for our readers. Every year, R.AGE throws a challenge to tertiary students to get out of their homes and campuses, and have fun racing with their friends . More often than not, they are faced with challenges that push them to their limits in physical and mental capabilities.

Adrenaline runs high as participants run around to accomplish their tasks. Persistent participants like Wan Cheng Yew have a great time and came back for more.

Cheng Yew from Universiti Malaya participated in all three Spirit searches organised by R.AGE two years ago: Spirit of KL, Spirit of Melaka, and Spirit of Penang.

"I joined because of the prize and also because I love hunts. The memorable thing for me was being able to be in the finals with three different teams, but I never won," says Cheng Yew.

He made plans to travel to Penang and Malacca for the searches and had no regrets of spending time out with his friends.

"The toughest part was doing the presentation in order to win the final round," he adds.

After beating the time to clock in as fast as they could, each team that qualified for the finals had to do a presentation on what they felt was the spirit of the city.

In last year's My 2 Sen financial management competition, Tan Kae Mern and his friend Lim Sheng Feixiang did something creative in the final round. They had previously started off with 63 other teams in Genting Highlands to be the 10 teams to proceed to the finals, completing various tasks to earn, spend and save "money" along the way.

At the finals, teams had to use their "money" to organise a dream date with their special someone. Of course, being a financial management competition the idea is to make the most of every sen, come up with the best and most meaningful ideas and still have spare for the rainy days and surprises – such as when the teams were told halfway through that it was their mother's birthday and she would be coming for the date as well.

The teams moaned but quickly reworked their budget.

"The craziest thing I did was being stingy in the finals. Instead of buying, we borrowed a lot of things. It was a really interesting competition and a good experience," says Kae Mern, whose team Fei Kae clinched the champion's title with RM5,000 cash prize.

Victory is always sweet but even for those who did not win went home with a good feeling.

Vivi Osman from KUTKM (now Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka) enjoyed the whole journey, from preparing to competing in Spirit of Melaka.

"Before the competition we went to town to get familiar with the road names, read up on famous places in Malacca and we had jogging sessions together too," says Vivi, who hails from Sarawak.

participants drinking bitter herbal tea

"Now, whenever we pass the various spots we will surely remember the times we had during the competition. It was really fun. They should bring the competition to Sabah and Sarawak," adds Vivi.

There are a lot of stories R.AGE event participants can tell you about. Jessica vividly remembers one of the tasks where they had to paint their faces with some oily paint, dress up in Chinese opera clothes and perform a short act.

Jessica remembers the exhaustion they felt, the things they would not otherwise do if not for the competition and the sheer fun of it all.

"It was memorable. The whole thing was very nice and we still miss it until now.

"It's very rare that you get to do this with your friends. The memory is so sweet," says Jessica.

The good news is that R.AGE's next race, the Trailblazer, is happening next month.

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