WOMAN GETS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS DURING CHEESE ROLLING RACE AND WINS
There are so many different sports out there, some more obscure than others, for example, the cheese roll racing. The rules are simple: a 7-pound wheel of cheese is thrown off the top of a steep hill, and the runner who finishes first behind the cheese gets it. Aside from the unique theme, the chaotic nature of the competition also makes for a wild spectacle. The final race took place over the UK Bank Holiday weekend. Of the four races, the women's race was won in an unlikely manner. The winner, Delaney Iriving, passed out on the way down but still managed to win the race.
Irving, a 19-year-old woman from Vancouver Island, was backpacking around the UK when she decided to sign up for the bizarre competition of up to 25 riders. "At the top [of the hill] I was like, 'Wow, am I going to do this?'" the woman recalled speaking to the CBC. As she felt her body fall, she braced herself not to break her bones. Soon everything went dark. "I remember running and then hitting my head and waking up in a tent," she told the BBC. Despite her confusion, she woke up with a large round cheese on her lap. Only then did she realise that she had won. "I still don't really believe it, but it's wonderful." She then told Greatest Hits Radio Gloucester that she was fine but was going to the hospital as a precaution.
Currently, a volunteer group called Team Cheese hosts the competition and reports that spectators from the US and other European countries travel in just to see the competition. "It makes us [the village of Brockworth] known, makes us a little bit famous and attracts people from all over the world," says Team Cheese's Kayla Hill. "Last night I spoke to a couple who were traveling from Washington for a special trip."
Other race winners in 2023 included Ryoya Minami of Japan. When asked why he entered the race, he replied: "Because I love cheese." Matt Crolla from Manchester also won the race and said: "I'm glad I'm conscious and didn't sustain many serious injuries .” While recovering from minor setbacks, Delaney is cultivating her memory. "I'm definitely sick. I have a lot of bruises. I guess next year I just want to watch.