BlindVision Blog

So now it can be told…the Gypsies are coming to Boulder! Not only that but also the host of Expedition Impossible, David Salmoni, and the Executive Producer, Lisa Hennessy, too. It’s going to be an exciting night at the Lazy Dog! And we will raise money for No Barriers (my charity) and Free The Children (Gypsies charity).

But here’s the thing, the Lazy Dog only holds 500 people. So get your tickets now! If you can’t make it, please consider making a donation via the same link. We are hoping to raise at least $10,000 for these great causes as we celebrate the end of an incredible adventure.

Thanks for your support!
Erik, Jeff, and Ike

Before I fill you in on some of the backstory from last week’s episode, I’d like to share a few comments that mean so much to Jeff, Ike, and me. The three of us suffered a lot over this month-long adventure. But sentiments like these make all that pain and discomfort worth it!

Whitney wrote:

I have never experienced so much excitement watching a reality show as when I watch you guys come together and succeed where so many would give up! Each of you shows so much strength and commitment to each other and your bravery is just friggin’ incredible. Thank you for being an inspiration to me and my son and the rest of the world.

Margarita wrote:

You are the kinds of people who I like to know are in the world: sincere, full of adventure and determination. And this week’s episode underlined it even more. Seriously, as if it wasn’t enough watching Erik jump off a 40-foot cliff because Jeff told him he’d *probably* survive. Watching both of you be such good sports and positive people while Ike reaches deep for even more courage—to work through the pain—is simply amazing. Determination, courage, loyalty—you name it, you show it. Thank you.

Abby wrote:

No Limits started as the team “with the blind guy” – that is how you were defined by others…not yourselves. Then all of a sudden, you were no longer the team with the blind guy, but the team with the guy with the busted ankle. But really what you are in the team that works as team—with heart, with dignity, with strength, and with a sense of humor. I watch the show on the edge of my seat each week, and will continue to do so. Routing for No Limits…not because you are the “underdog” team or the “disabled” team, but because you are the team that has taught me to overcome my own challenges, and not to be defined by others.

Chuck wrote:

My five-year-old son loves you guys! He almost started crying tonight when it looked like you wouldn’t be able to make it to the finish. Then when he saw that you might have a chance he was on his feet jumping up and down and cheering you on!

After the show we had a chance to talk about being brave and not giving up. He said he was going to be brave even if he got hurt, just like Ike. So I asked him what if he lost his sight or another one of his senses. He said he’d be brave, just like Erik. So, I pushed it and asked him what if his friend was injured or lost his sight. He said he would help him, just like Jeff!

We all know most reality TV is absolute garbage. And I know it will sound weird but the way you guys pushed yourselves and never gave up really allowed my son and I to talk about real, important life lessons. He really looks up to you all, so I just wanted to say thanks!

When we signed up for this big, crazy adventure, we had little idea what we were getting ourselves into. And once underway, we had no idea what an impact it would have upon others. Even once it started airing, we didn’t fully realize how powerfully it would affect others.

One of the things that makes me proud about being involved with Expedition Impossible is the message it sends. I won’t let my kids watch other reality shows because I don’t want them thinking the way to get to the top is by backstabbing. The cool thing about this show is it’s a bunch of teams competing as hard as they can, trying to do their best. And once you get to camp, nearly everyone is a buddy; talking and laughing, sharing cramped goat herder tents, fighting windstorms together.

For the most part, everyone was into the spirit of a traditional adventure race. Only one team was trying to do some of the “alliance” silliness, the rest were content to compete on their own merits. In the end, good teamwork is what defines success.

This last episode was clearly a defining moment for Team No Limits. Even in our bleakest moments, we never fell apart. After that swim, all of the other teams passed us and were so far ahead that Jeff couldn’t even see them on the horizon. Ike was feeling truly miserable for letting us down. But instead of turning on each other and imploding, like some other teams, we stuck together and accepted our fate.

There was no way we were quitting but we were forced to slow down for the first time. After three weeks of frenetically racing around Morocco, this was the first time that I really appreciated the amazing landscape around us: the massive openness, pastures with grazing sheep, spectacular mountains and canyons.

That calmness, combined with us not freaking out with each other, allowed us to keep plugging away. We all knew there was a remote possibility that another team might run into a problem with the next challenge. But we were so far off the back that it seemed unlikely. I even suggested stopping at a creek to go swimming but Jeff wanted to keep pushing hard.

And then we caught sight of the Cali Girls! In an instant, the adrenaline kicked in and we all charged hard…Ike hopped as fast as he could go. Jeff showed total leadership, telling each of us what to do and quickly solving the puzzle. He remembered the Bolder Boulder 10k running race is 6.2 miles and in no time figured we had traveled 310 miles.

We were giggling like little kids as we realized we were going to beat the Cali Girls. It was so improbable that we had overcome a 90-minute deficit and ended up 5 minutes ahead at the end! As we came up the hill to the finish line, the camp erupted in applause. The Gypsies in particular had already been morning our loss so they were especially pleased that we had survived one more day.

Alas, we only have one night of rest before the next episode—no rest for the weary, or injured! There’s one more team to be eliminated before the finals. And this next stage won’t be easy for Team No Limits. Perhaps we make it, perhaps not. Either way, I hope you’ve enjoyed the show so far and will keep sending us comments.

Reach!
Erik

Jeff’s blog: http://mountain-vision.blogspot.com/

Gypsies’ blog: http://www.themoderngypsies.com/blog/

Cops’ blog: http://www.aconcordcarpenter.com/category/expedition-impossible

Prior to this episode, a lot of people have been asking about Ike because he has been underrepresented on the show. At last, Ike had his chance to shine!

It’s crazy that there have been so many opportunities to get hurt—running along riverbeds, jumping off cliffs, charging down rocky slopes, plunging through snowfields—and Ike trashes his ankle getting into a taxi. In Morocco, there is a gutter between the sidewalk and the road and that’s what caught his foot.

Jeff and I didn’t immediately comprehend the seriousness of the injury as we all clambered into the car. But by the time we got to the airport, it was obvious that the game had completely changed for Team No Limits.

In 2007, Ike’s right leg was severely broken during a firefight with the Taliban along the Afghanistan/Pakistan border. It required multiple surgeries, then a full year of recuperation, before he regained most of the strength and function to his leg. So another break on the same leg could be very serious. Even a bad sprain could cause irreparable damage due to all the swelling and pounding on it for another week.

Fortunately, we had about an hour for the medical staff to examine Ike while Jeff got to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. When Ike failed a test known as the “Ottawa ankle rule,” the medical staff decided he had to go to the hospital for an x-ray…meaning we were out of the game.

At that point, the show’s Executive Producer, Lisa Hennessy, stepped in and made the decision to put the call back in Ike’s hands. Now this is a guy who has been deployed in war zones three times and has earned two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, and a host of other medals and awards. Suffice to say, he’s tough and he’s not a quitter. Ike simply said, “I’m good to go.”

So No Limits was back in the race but now we were a team with two major disabilities: a blind guy and a gimp. The irony is that instead of being a liability, Ike gets out in front and hammers the whole day.

Jeff and I told Ike multiple times that we understood he didn’t want to let the team down but he couldn’t risk a permanent injury that would prevent him from serving his country. No matter what we said, Ike insisted on soldiering on. He’d just grit his teeth and say, “I’m good.” He was given ibuprofen and a mild narcotic but you could clearly tell the pain was intense. At one point I asked Ike, “On a scale of 1 to 10, what is your level of pain.” And he clearly says “Ten” and continues to hike.

Not only was Ike charging on but he was thinking clearly too. He solved the puzzle that Jeff and I couldn’t figure out if our lives depended on it. The ability to focus despite considerable pain is part of what makes Ike an exceptional soldier. For him, it’s all about pushing through adversity and giving everything he can to his team.

By the end of the day, No Limits went from down and out to second place! As a bonus, we got to hang out with the pretty and smart California Girls too. Our pace was about the same as theirs so it gave us a chance to get to know them better. It was interesting to discover that Brittany is a semi-pro golfer who works for Callaway, while Natalie is a teacher, and Christina does PR for Intel. All three are super nice and I really enjoyed talking with them.

It was definitely sad to see the Country Boys leave. They are the epitome of Southern gentleman and I’m proud to call them friends. Out of all the people on Expedition Impossible, Chad was easily the funniest. He has a sassy style of humor that was always cracking me up. It’s surprising the show never mentioned that Nick was in severe pain from a horrendous blister on the bottom of his foot. It was very bloody and starting to get infected so it was probably a good thing they left when they did.

As soon as the stage was over, we headed to the hospital with Ike. I’m assuming some of this drama will air next week so stay tuned!

Erik

PS you can learn more about Ike on the Soldiers To The Summit web site.

Jeff’s blog: http://mountain-vision.blogspot.com/

Gypsies’ blog: http://www.themoderngypsies.com/blog/

Cops’ blog: http://www.aconcordcarpenter.com/category/expedition-impossible

Tonight’s a big night for Team No Limits on Expedition Impossible! It’s safe to say that this will be a game changer…and leaping off a waterfall was just a warm up for this episode. Will you be watching?

Before Jeff, Ike, and I became reality TV stars, we had to get on the show. Part of the lengthy application process for all the teams was putting together a brief video that told the producers why we should be selected. As you can tell, we took this very seriously!

Many thanks to Michael Brown and the team and Serac Adventure Films for their help in producing this! And yes, we called ourselves Team No Barriers, after my charity, but Hollywood decided to call us Team No Limits.

Here is a teaser commercial for Thursday’s episode where Ike gets more attention than he wanted!

ABC hasn’t figured out online videos so this may or may not play on your browser.

Another tough stage in Morocco! Lot’s of people commented on how beautiful the waterfall was at the beginning of the show, but I didn’t have a second to take in the beauty. Jeff and I were running down steep, broken, uneven stairs, crossing the river and scrambling along a narrow trail. Plenty of times a misstep to the left would have sent me plunging 50 feet off a cliff or tumbling down a rocky slope into the river.

It took focus to get through these sketchy sections. We were proud that we could at least keep pace with the other teams, though it was demoralizing to get passed at times.

As for the infamous “leap of faith,” I’ll admit I was just a little nervous. I had jumped off taller cliffs at Devil’s Glen when I was a kid growing up in Connecticut. On that childhood cliff, you had to be pretty careful where you landed to avoid hitting rocks. I would point my cane and my friends would tell me “yep, right there” “not there” until I had it wired. Typically I’d be the first one in our group to jump so I guess my adventurous streak goes back a ways.

The two big differences here were 1) I could hear whitewater below me, which sometimes means there are rocks. That upped the ante a bit. And 2) since we were racing, Jeff didn’t have time to give me the full beta. But I knew he wouldn’t steer me wrong and it was just a matter of getting into position.

As always, Jeff did an amazing job helping me get ready for the jump. In fact, as you saw, we held hands and jumped together. That’s more than a friend. That’s a bro! In fact, he was so focused on getting me in position, he forgot about his own form and when we jumped, I dragged him back a bit so that he landed off-kilter in the water. Fortunately it was a relatively soft landing because the waterfall aerated the water.

When we got to the zip line, I had significant concerns. The previous summer, I was in an adventure race where the zip line was rigged improperly. I picked up way too much speed—a terrifying prospect since there is absolutely nothing you can do to slow down—and went crashing into rocks, nearly breaking my leg.

Doctoring my leg after the zip line collision.

So it was with great trepidation that I hooked onto this zip line. Before launching into space, I even double checked and asked one of the judges if they were sure it was safe. I still wasn’t totally convinced so if you watch the re-run, you’ll notice I’m swinging my cane in front of me to feel for an impending collision.

The whitewater section was potentially dangerous. Before we launched, the safety team had told Jeff there were a lot of hazards on this section and that there was a chance I could be in trouble. I learned later that some of the water safety crew were even taking bets whether I’d swim or not. You might have noticed that I’m the only contestant with a big white cross on my helmet. That’s so the safety teams will know which is the blind guy flailing in the water.

This section of river had Class 3 rapids with narrow passages in a tight canyon. Some gauntlets were only two widths of a kayak wide with precise zigs and zags. A screw-up meant a hard collision into an overhanging boulder. Eyeballs would have been a nice luxury!

While Jeff and Ike have done a lot with me in the mountains, they aren’t my usual river partners. As much as possible, we had Ike out front calling big directions and Jeff in back providing micro adjustments to my course. Jeff and Ike aren’t big kayakers themselves, so they had the huge pressure of guiding me, while trying not to flip or get pinned themselves.

Running rapids blind is exciting enough but it gets downright scary when I can’t hear the commands from my team. The rapids themselves are plenty loud. However, at one point a film helicopter got so close overhead that the rotor wash drowned out communication and caused me to flip. Let’s just say that I was not amused and let them know it by furiously waving them off; later the pilot came over and apologized. No hard feelings. Can you imagine the challenges of filming this over-the-top adventure?

Without question, Jeff and Ike have gone above and beyond for me and I definitely appreciate it. When you surround yourself with good people, anything is possible! Although I took a beating, It felt pretty good finishing in third place this time.

Several people have asked me why we don’t hear more from Ike during the episodes. One friend who happened to know Ike is an injured soldier even asked me if he’s a deaf mute! The only “problem” with Ike is he’s just a down-to-earth understated Kansas boy. He’s a total gentleman and always there when you need him. But that doesn’t necessarily translate well to television.

Remember last week when we all got to talk to our family back home? Ike actually proposed to his girlfriend, Sarah, while we were in the car and she accepted! Jeff and I were stunned. I think I elbowed him and whispered, “not on national TV.” Ike just chuckled. Somehow that didn’t make the final cut. But I assure you’ll hear more from Ike shortly!

Regarding ratings – This week, things are looking up as the ratings surged 23% with 5.13 million viewers. I hope you’ll stay tuned in for as long as Team No Limits hangs in there! I really appreciate your comments—keep them coming.

Erik “Super Blind” Weihenmayer

PS if you like what we’re doing and feel inspired, please consider making a donation to my charity, No Barriers. And please tell them Team No Limits sent you!

Jeff’s blog: http://mountain-vision.blogspot.com/

Gypsies’ blog: http://www.themoderngypsies.com/blog/

Cops’ blog: http://www.aconcordcarpenter.com/category/expedition-impossible