[Sportsandrec] Fw: Erik and Team Lumber Liquidators Hold on to Victory at Adventure Team Challenge

Thu Jul 9 21:26:09 UTC 2009

Forwarding. Looks like at least two blind athletes. I'd sure like to hear more about this...

Lori

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Erik Weihenmayer 
To: twilight2 at kconline.com 
Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2009 4:48 PM
Subject: Erik and Team Lumber Liquidators Hold on to Victory at Adventure Team Challenge

                        Erik and Team Lumber Liquidators Win Adventure TEAM Challenge

                        July 7, 2009

                              Now in its third year, the Adventure TEAM Challenge, formerly the Real Deal, brought adventure racers from across the country to the wilderness outside of Vail, Colorado for the most challenging course to date. 

                              The idea for creating an inclusive adventure race came to Erik after he competed in Primal Quest, a grueling expedition-length adventure race in California's Sierra Nevada Range, often billed as the toughest adventure race on earth. Erik's team were one of only 44 to finish the race out of the 80 elite teams which started. Through the tremendous challenge of primal Quest, he gained an appreciation for the teamwork such an undertaking requires, and saw an incredible opportunity to bring together disabled and able-bodied athletes to accomplish a common goal.

                              "At Primal Quest, the rumor was we wouldn't make it past the first day. Instead, we beat half of the able-bodied teams," he said. "So that was in the back of my mind when I envisioned an inclusive adventure race. There is this idea that disabled people can't take part in an adventure race because it's too rugged, too risky, too difficult, but with the right technologies, teamwork and attitude, the barriers fall away."

                              In 2007, World T.E.A.M. Sports (WTS), a nonprofit organization which showcases the power of inclusive teams, came aboard as the beneficiary of this event. Said Jim Benson the founder of WTS, "The Adventure Team Challenge brings together people of all abilities and embodies a true spirit of adventure. Seven-time adventure racing world champion, Ian Adamson, also came aboard to organize the course.

                              "Events like this break ground from a society's standpoint and also from a personal standpoint." Said Erik, "It's always a good feeling when you're able to know your possibilities are a lot more than you thought." 

                              Willy Stewart member of Team Varsity pushes his teammate's One-Off hand-cycle up  the boat ramp before embarking on the raft section of the course.

                              Teams are comprised of three able bodied athletes and two individuals with disabilities, one of which must be non-ambulatory (a paraplegic athlete). Numerous noteworthy disabled athletes took part such as Steve Ackerman, the first paraplegic athlete to hand cycle around the world; Matt King, a blind paralympic cyclist; and Sarah Will, a 12-time gold medal winning mono-ski racer in the Paralympics. In addition to groundbreaking pioneers in the disabled community, the event hosted many wounded warriors, injured while serving America in conflict from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. 

                              "[Being injured] is not the end of the road," said Staff Sargent Kathrine Ragazzino of Team Semper Fi, comprised of wounded Marines. "the door is never closing; it's always another door opening when you come to events like these."

                              The  race kicked off with a brisk swim across the mighty Colorado River to a raft waiting on the other side. Teams then piled into the raft, flipped it and climbed back in. The clock stopped when each team successfully beached their boat back on the near shore. The fastest teams were not necessarily the strongest swimmers or paddlers, but rather those with the best strategy in navigating the current, and using the eddy along the shore to their advantage. 

                              Race organizer, Ian Adamson, began his introductory remarks with a reminder, "teamwork is the hallmark of adventure racing. As individuals, no team is faster than its slowest member, but as a team, you are much stronger." 

                              Erik and his teammates paddle hard to the finish of the prologue on Day 1.

                              The following two days took athletes by mountain bike, raft, and by foot deep into the Colorado wilderness as they navigated through a series of checkpoints. The level of teamwork was apparent as paraplegic athletes gave directions to blind athletes, who in return,  helped push their special one-off hand cycles up steep hills. Teams used specially modified bungee cords to tow one-offs and even runners; this is a technique often used in adventure racing which enables a tired team member to rest while the other keeps up the pace. 

                              Through all of its different elements, the course was specifically designed so that no athlete could complete a task alone. From rafting on the raging Colorado River, to the rappel, rock climb and zipline segments of the race, each discipline forced reliance and trust in one's team. The river section was particularly perilous this year, with flows nearly double that of previous years.

                              Before dawn on the final day, the competitors pushed off into the misty Colorado River.  Two teammates from each team took the plunge and swam a rapid while their team paddled behind and pulled them into the boat. The air temperature was 45-degrees and the water temperature was only slightly warmer. Teams then split up and simultaneously raced for the finish.  Three members of each team remained in the raft, paddling hard to a final sprint. The other two members then took off up a steep mountainside for a challenging 9-mile run and navigation section. Weary and eager to finish, several teams made navigational errors and lost valuable time.

                              John Lemon, Matt King and Josh Sharpe of Team Cisco use a specially modified bungee system to help make climbing more efficient in the mountain bike section. 

                              At the final checkpoint, three teams strode in, neck in neck and quickly jumped on mountain bikes for a screaming downhill to the finish. Willy Stewart of Team Varsity was one of the first to reach the final checkpoint, when he realized that he didn't have his prosthetic left arm for the bike section. "We all showed up together, and I realized that I was not going to get my arm, but my only thought was 'lets go, lets go.'  I was definitely scared because it is hard to ride one handed, but I wanted to be a part of the competition. It was great to be a part of the race to the finish." 

                              Erik's team, comprised of Brett Landin, Rob Harsh, Sarah Will, and Ben Witherell, and sponsored for the second year by Lumber Liquidators, held onto the commanding lead they had established on the first day and secured a victory. Although the competition was fierce, each team would readily admit that it is only part of the equation. The Adventure TEAM Challenge highlights the potential and capabilities of all participants. It is about pursuing and overcoming challenges, and the camaraderie fostered by working hard toward an important  goal. 

                              When asked why he came out to race, Cisco team member John Lemon said, "It isn't that disabled athletes need help.  Just like any other athlete, they just want a partner . . . someone to get out there with."

                              The Adventure TEAM Challenge was hosted by World TEAM Sports, which brings disabled and able-bodied athletes together through the powerful platform of athletic competition. A special thanks goes out to Timberline Tours, the foremost outfitter for Vail Valley and the Colorado River. 

                              Next year's Adventure TEAM Challenge promises to be unlike any other, with a completely revamped course and location, as well as new obstacles and challenges

                 Quick Links  
                              www.TouchTheTop.com

                              Products

                              World TEAM Sports

                              Read this outstanding article in the Denver Post on the Adventure Team Challenge!

                              http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12718052

                              Our Sponsors  

                              A special thanks to Tom Sullivan and Lumber Liquidators for Sponsoring Erik's team. 

                              Contact Us

                              For Erik's Speaking Engagements: 
                              Leading Authorities 
                              www.leadingauthorities.com
                              202-783-0300 

                              For Non-Profit and School Inquiries:
                              Skyler Williams
                              Skyler at touchthetop.com
                              303-717-4481

                              For Book and DVD Sales:
                              Ben Witherell
                              Ben at touchthetop.com
                              303-903-8824

                              For All Other Matters: 
                              Ed Weihenmayer 
                              Ed at touchthetop.com
                              904-321-1938

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