The physical and mental challenge of a 742-kilometre canoe and kayak race may seem daunting for most people.

For Insp. John Grant and his team of RCMP officers, the chance to compete in the world's longest endurance canoe and kayak race was an opportunity they couldn't pass up.

Nine officers, under the team name Scarlet Fever, will make their debut in the 2004 Yukon River Quest on June 23, hoping to raise awareness of diabetes in the Yukon and raise funds for the Diabetes Education Centre at the Whitehorse General Hospital.

'We had quite a number of people interested,' said Grant in an interview after team practice Saturday. 'Our occupation sort of pairs it down.

'It's difficult to get eight or nine people with the same time off. But we were able to get nine, so we figured we'd do it. We've got a couple of spares too that are waiting in the wings.'

It was Grant and fellow racer Const. Rick Aird who first got the ball rolling for this year's team. Both men took part in long-distance canoe trips while living in B.C., one of them a 1,000 mile journey between Hazelton and Victoria. They had been talking about entering the Quest for the past couple of years and this year, Const. Eyvi Smith joined in the planning.

Joining Grant, Aird and Smith on team Scarlet Fever are Staff Sgt. Mike Stewart, Sgt. Guy Rook, Cpl. Tony Park, Cpl. Tom Wyers, Const. Marc Gabriel and Const. Jeff Monkman.

Const. Karen Olito, Const. Natasha Dunmall, Const. Jennifer Drover, Const. Leanne Lind and Cpl. Grant McDonald are the possible alternates and the team's support crew.

Park, the first nation policing co-ordinator, has been in the Yukon about seven years and still hasn't been all the way down the Yukon River.

'I've never really paddled before, so it should be interesting,' he said. 'It's going to be more grueling than people think it's going to be. When you start paddling or pulling for 24 hours a day, you're body will be shaking.'

The team will be competing in the voyageur canoe category, using the RCMP's 11-person replica canoe modeled after a Northwest coast ocean canoe. Local Tlingit artist Ken Anderson was commissioned to create a design and paint the dugout-style canoe, known as the Northern Dancer, in 2001.

For the past two years, local team Paddlers Abreast have been using the canoe in the River Quest.

'We were a little torn,' said Grant. 'We knew the ladies really represented the boat well. But they didn't seem to have a problem with us using it. They found another canoe to use in the race, and were actually talking about buying one.'

Grant said since the canoe was originally built for the ocean, it can take on quite heavy water and should handle the Yukon River fairly well. The officers have been out two or three times so far practicing for the big day.

'It's just a matter of getting used to the canoe I think,' he said. 'Most of our members are on fitness programs, so the conditioning aspect is not really an issue. The biggest challenge I think will be sleep depravation.'

Park expects the nine-person team, complete with their own river rhymer (Monkman), will work well together and, most importantly, have fun.

'You've got nine personalities in the boat, so there's always going to be somebody motivating or picking up the other person,' he pointed out.

In the Quest's six-year history, the top time for a team competing in the voyageur canoe category is 64 hours and 13 minutes.

While Grant expects the team will do quite well, he just wants to make sure everyone stays nourished and hydrated so they can finish the race in a respectable time and bring awareness to their charity.

'Three days is not a lot of time and it's a pretty challenging race. I think we're very well prepared, but I guess we'll find out,' he laughed.

'I don't think you'll find us overly serious. We just want to be able to finish the race and equate ourselves with dignity.'

If the team finishes the race in the required time, all of the money raised by pledges will go to the Diabetes Education Centre, a cause which the members felt needed more attention.

'We thought maybe diabetes because you don't get to hear that much about it and it's certainly a terrible disease, a terrible affliction,' said Grant. 'Also, it's a local charity so all the funds that we raised will actually stay here.'

First nations diabetes educator, Laura Salmon, said the centre has found it increasingly challenging to meet a growing demand for services, given the increasing prevalence of diabetes. She said the centre has been trying to track down someone who could really speak to the problem of diabetes.

'It's great that they could direct a team effort toward fundraising for such a worthwhile cause,' she said. 'It's been a real challenge in getting enough funding to get enough programs to meet the needs.

'A lot of people with diabetes live in rural communities. There have been recent cutbacks for people who to travel into Whitehorse. So because there's no funding, it's (diabetes program) been inaccessible to them.'

Grant said every member of the team is going to have to 'pound the pavement' and get some pledges before the race, even if it means going door-to-door.

'We'll take anything,' he stated.

Pledges to the Diabetes Education Centre can also be made at the Whitehorse General Hospital or the Whitehorse detachment of the RCMP. Donations over $10 will receive a tax receipt.