Team Feature: CanToy Divas - Liza & Sue
February 7th, 2024
It’s music to our ears to hear that the international team of Liza and Sue loves coming back to the Rebelle year after year. Team #144 CanToy Divas is a Canadian duo who has competed in the Rebelle Rally three times together since 2020 – and won the coveted International Cup every single time, with $10,000 donated to the non-profits of their choosing. Read on and meet the team:
Meet Liza Tough
Liza Tough has been piloting the familiar 2017 Toyota Tacoma every year and proving to everyone what a cool grandma can achieve (although she appears way too young to be a grandmother!). Navigator Sue Chapin and Liza met ten years ago through their love of music when they joined a local women’s barbershop singing organization. After learning more from founder Emily Miller at an event, they became interested in the Rebelle Rally and partnered for their first year of competition four years ago.
Liza grew up in British Columbia and was accustomed to the outdoors but hadn’t ever driven much off-road. Doug, her husband, encouraged her to get behind the wheel after they bought the Toyota Tacoma. “I reluctantly climbed in the driver’s side but was still so nervous.” Said Liza. “The turning point for me was when we attended the BC Overland Rally for the first time. I took the Rebelle Rally’s ladies-only courses throughout the event. I met Emily Miller, Amy Hopkins, and Kendra Miller, and these women and the courses they offered changed my life!”
“I realized at that event that I was way more capable than I could ever imagine. I had no idea before that event how much I would love off-roading and how important the Rebelle would be to me. I should also mention after that event, Doug became the primary passenger and I the primary driver of our truck.”
Meet Sue Chapin
For Sue, the off-roading experience started a little later in life. Her first time hitting the dirt was on sand with Liza during Glamis dune training in September 2019 in preparation for their first Rebelle competition. During that first year, they had the chance to meet quite a few other teams, including Teams Roaming Wolves, Waypoint Wanderers, and Fast ‘n Curious, whom they still count as dear friends. For both, they count arriving in Glamis as one of their favorite moments, and the scenic locations Emily selects for the route keep them coming back year after year.
As one of only a handful of international teams, Team CanToy Divas would love to see more competitors join the Rebelle from outside the United States. Their words of advice might be able to help future Rebelles. “Competing from another country is not easy,” says Liza. “It is more expensive, and you will have more hoops to jump through, but it is 100% worth it. The experiences you will have will honestly change your life, and you will gain lifelong friendships.” She adds that teams may end up having their own personal rally just to get to the start line. For Sue, her advice was for any rookie considering the Rebelle. “Be prepared to grow as a human. The Rebelle will test you, take you out of your comfort zone, and start molding you into a better version of yourself.” Which doesn’t sound like such a bad thing at all.
Making an Impact
Not only has the duo won the International Cup three times, but Liza also won the award in 2022 competing with Katrina Gardner as Team Pawsativity while Sue took the year off. With Liza’s win that year, this win brings a total of $10,000 in charitable donations over four years as part of the rally’s Rebelle Impact giving program.
We’re excited to welcome Team CanToy Divas back to the United States this October and will see them on the start line at the 2024 Rebelle Rally!
Donations made to the team’s chosen charitable organizations as part of their International Cup win and through contributions from Rebelle Impact, the giving arm of the Rebelle Rally:
- 2020: BC Cancer Foundation $2,500 (won by Team CanToy Divas)
- 2021: Kelowna’s Women’s Shelter $2,500 (won by Team CanToy Divas)
- 2022: Paw’s It Forward Dog Rescue Society $2,500 (won by Team Pawsativity)
- 2023: Pathways Abilities Society $2,500 (won by Team CanToy Divas)
