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'World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji': Team Onyx's mission is to create a voice for the 'underrepresented'

The team, a mix of straight and gay athletes, was formed and helmed by Black racer Clifton Lyles who, in his 20-year career, realized that no one looked like him after which he felt the need to diversify the sport

Spoilers for the race

Team Onyx was one of the first-ever teams made up entirely of African-American racers to participate in 'World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji'. The team was participating with a purpose to represent the Black as well as the LGBT community. The team comprised of record-holding ultramarathoner, Coree Aussem-Woltering, skilled ultra-endurance mountain biker Samantha Scipio, former Navy SEAL and Crossfit gym owner Chriss Smith Jr and former Div.1 NCAA football player and filmmaker Mikayla Lyles. Helming this team of trailblazers was seasoned adventure racer and former Marine Clifton Lyles.  

Onyx was a newly formed team comprised of both experienced and rookie racers and they were all competing for a unique purpose. Speaking about the significance behind the name of their team, Clifton, in his introductory video, said that Onyx represents the color of the people on his team. He also said that he was racing on and off for the past 20 years and that is when he realized that there was no one who looked like him. He said that he understood that there was no better time than participating in the eco-challenge, to put together a team of African-Americans, a first in an endurance-expedition race. Adding to this, Coree said that his captain's goal was to put together a team of Black explorers to diversify the sport. Coree participates in multiple marathons as an openly gay person and his goal was to be a role model for Blacks and the LGBT community. He wanted to show people of the community that there's an opportunity for everyone and inspire more people to live their dreams regardless of color, creed, sexual orientation, or religion.

Team Onyx was moving ahead in the race steadily. After passing Camp 3, the team was moving ahead to tread a treacherous path on mountain bikes. This is when Clifton fell off his bike into the ditch and suffered grave injuries to his limbs. After the incident, team member Samantha's first instinct was to check his helmet and she found out it was cracked. She feared that he had suffered a concussion and the whole team decided that they'd head back to Camp to seek medical assistance. Back at the camp, Melissa who was serving as a team assistant got news of the accident and immediately knew it was her father who must have fell. Upon Clifton's arrival, she saw him and immediately knew by his "hazed" look that there was something off about him. She was more concerned as Clifton had suffered a concussion three-four months ago due to a bike accident. 

The medical staff on the field couldn't diagnose a concussion but Clifton knew he didn't feel okay. He wanted to continue the race as this was 13 years in the making for him but he knew better. He realized that there were chances of his decision-making abilities to be affected and that's when the team pulled out of the race. Clifton came to the race with his team a mission to create a voice for "people who felt marginalized, unseen, underrepresented" in society and don't have a voice. "We didn't finish the race but still accomplished the mission," he said before Team Onyx bowed out. 

'World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji' is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.