Mexia Amazing Race Melbourne

July 26, 2016

Another super team building event was hosted by the culture, sights and surrounds of Melbourne. Today's team from MEXIA would face the elements as Melbourne dished up an array of pouring rain, spots of sunshine and temperatures in the single figures. All these elements created a great scene for a fast paced race and a real test on how committed this MEXIA team was.

Today's race started up in the MEXIA office boardroom with 39 employees ready for their surprise event. Once the mystery was revealed that the team would be hitting the streets in an Amazing race the teams competitive spirit rose as the 7 teams were formed. Our race always highlights how good a team can work in the following 5 areas of trust, commitment, accountability, conflict and being results driven.

Kicking off the race I put the MEXIA team to the mental challenge of the Paper & Scissors challenge before getting their first clue. It was very clear that the team at first were pretty perplexed by the idea, but eventually the cogs ticked over and before I knew this team one after another managed to find the answer and receive their first clue. The OC (Orange) and Dean's Green (Green) were out the block fast and straight out into the pouring rain.

The racers would head out to Bourke St Mall, Chinatown and give us some photographic interpretations of Teamwork in the graffiti art alley way of Union Lane. This leg would also highlight that there were emerging artists with The Golden Cheaters (Yellow) producing a Archibald entry of Dr Sun Yat Sen. The first checkpoint of the race would be Federation Square where the teams were put through the test of trust and focus with a memory test challenge in the sprinkling rain.

First to arrive were the OC(Orange) who appeared to be all about speed and Blazing(Navy Blue) who had made up some ground in the first leg. These team flew through their memory test and gained there next clue before the other teams to arrive. Not long after though the sea of colour that is the bandannas filtered in to test out their focus and their ability to be silent. All teams cruised through their challenge and in particular The Golden Cheaters who seemed to have X ray vision as they uncovered the colour path.

The next leg of the race would see the MEXIA team taking in the sculptures of art that lie along the Yarra river. Also in the section the teams have to interpret one of the 5 dysfunctions and the teams certainly showed they could be creative with some great photos rolling in. At this point in the race in was time to speed up the racers with a Fast Forward to the Little Cupcakes for today's commitment challenge. By all accounts it was joyful experience as the teams ate the amazing race cakes. Once this challenge was completed the teams would be presented their final clue and finish location of the MEXIA office on Bourke street.

It was at this time the all time curve ball was thrown into play with aptly named Golden cheaters sending out a hoax text sending the teams to the finish line with out the final leg. Unfortunately for them it would come back to bite them, but it did fool La Rouge (red) and Pink Panthers (pink) who arrived very early to the finish line without a large portion of their race.

First team to arrive in the office today would be the eventual winning and also the aptly named Blazing it was written in the stars that they would be the fastest and cleverest in today's Amazing Race. The Golden Cheaters would arrive next, but their bending of the rules would see them take out wooden spoon prize, highlighting that they may have been clever, but that they changed the even playing field and so the ultimate penalty was a given. The OC lost their steam towards the end, but took out the prize for modes of transport including stealing a few kids bikes. White Clouds Slow and steady approach would see them come home in the middle. La Rouge and Pink Panthers were able to make up ground lost on their hoax text and Dean Green's were more concerned with staying dry which made for some creative umbrella photos in the art adorned alley ways of Melbourne, but didn't see them take out the prize.

Overall today's team building event Melbourne went off with a bang and heaps of fun was had by the team of MEXIA as well as some insights into how much certain team members would bend the rules to achieve their goals.

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