Team Lumber Liquidators Win Adventure TEAM Challenge (Hardwear Sessions)

Erik Weihenmayer, Blind Adventurer and Team Lumber
Click here to visit Erik's Website

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 Team Lumber

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

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.

Team Cisco

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. | Photo Courtesy of Erik

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.

Click here to read this outstanding article in the Denver Post on the Adventure Team Challenge!