2003 Newsletters
Across the Finish Line-Team "No Boundaries" 42nd of 80
Sep 15th, 2003
Team "No Boundaries" 42nd of 80
At 4:07 a.m. on Sunday morning, Team No Boundaries surged passed the finish line on Lake Tahoe just 4 1/2 hours before the race cutoff, culminating for them the grueling Subaru Primal Quest which began ten days earlier. Overcoming a wrong turn midway through a 110-mile trail ride, a broken de-railer and slipping chain on the tandem during 240 miles of mountain biking, and 11 hours of penalties, No Boundaries still became the 42nd team to finish the race intact, of the 80 which started. Only 44 teams were able to complete the full 457-mile course.
A Nike/Balance Bar team from the U.S. took first place and the $100,000 prize, followed by teams from Australia and New Zealand. Teams from the U.S., Finland, Sweden, and Canada rounded out the top 10. 320 stellar athletes from 17 countries competed in this richest and toughest of all adventure races. The incredible performance of No Boundaries will be judged in that context.
An Everest-level achievement? Definitely Everest-like physically, although the race was much shorter, 10 days vs. 8 weeks, but it was simply "compact suffering," says Erik. The 120,000’ of elevation gain and loss was daunting.
Everest-like from a blindness standpoint? Consider trekking over boulder fields, paddling whitewater, and mountain biking on a tandem...without sight, and without much sleep. And then consider working with Erik to navigate the difficult terrain through jumbled rocks, yelling constant instructions to Erik fighting the wind while paddling a kayak, or piloting a tandem up the many switchbacks, for 22 hours each day.
Everest-like for sure in that it was another incredible team effort: team captain Rob Harsh, Cammy Ronchetto, Jeff Evans, and Erik, plus the support crew, Gavin Attwood and Ben Witherell. Jeff described the team as "selfless and perfectly integrated," with everyone "finding their moment to step up." -- Rob taking over for Jeff many times as the tandem pilot, or from the front gently towing the tandem up steep grades, Cammy leading Erik over boulder fields, Gavin and Ben having meals prepared when the team hit the Transition Areas, and equipment serviced and readied for the next Stage. "Someone was always doing something for someone else," says Rob.
What was different than Everest, for Jeff and Erik, was the sleep deprivation. In the 9+ days of racing, sleep totaled approimately 20 hours. When Erik and Jeff were pushing the tandem up a long route, Erik was talking up a storm, telling jokes, doing anything to try to keep Jeff awake. Erik actually did fall asleep on the bike once on a downhill leg. When Cammy was leading Erik in the boulder field, Erik would move past a rock, and just stop, dozing momentarily. Cammy would yell to wake him up, but Erik simply had lost track of where he was. Just after he finished the race, in a phone call to his dad, Erik fell asleep two times during the de-brief. Sometimes, though, the lack of sleep may have worked to his advantage. Erik said that midway through the race, his shin began screaming pain. Soon the pain moved to his ankle, then up to his calf, to his knee, and finally to his thigh. By the time it got to his thigh, he had forgotten about the shin, ankle, calf and knee where it had all started.
On the final leg, 21 miles of flatwater, No Boundaries was in the water at 10:40 p.m. Saturday night. Jeff said that Erik really had his game face on, was intensely focused on the time because of the race cut-off at 8:30 a.m. the next morning, and motivated the entire team to a strong finish. Fortunately, heavy winds had calmed somewhat, and the team reached its first checkpoint in 3 hours. Then, at 4:07 a.m., they hit the final checkpoint, and stepped onto the shore, well before the deadline, an amazing accomplishment to their credit.
The small crowd cheered, noisemakers blared, and Erik and teammates were grinning ear to ear, when Erik was treated to his own grand finale. His wife Ellie had decided to surprise him, and had flown in with daughter Emma from Denver the night before. So just as Erik was taking his first few steps from the kayak, he heard little footsteps running across the sand to him and shouting, Daddy, Daddy!" He immediately recognized the voice. What a perfect ending to a great adventure.
A footnote: Reports are that, at the end of the race, Rob looked like he had simply done a good hard day’s work. Cammy was tired, and injured from a bike fall she had taken when tethering the tandem on a downhill with a bungee because the tandem brakes were not holding up. By her own admission, though, she gets relatively stronger in the latter stages of a race, not surprising for a marathoner...but what is surprising is that Rob and Cammy compete in a 24-hour race next weekend in Chicago.
For those who would like to see the Subaru Primal Quest up front and personal, tune in on Sunday, January 10 to a 2-hour CBS Sports Spectacular which will be wedged in between NFL playoff games. Please check your local listings for times. We believe it is 5:00 p.m. EST.
We recently received a note from P&G’s President of Western Europe after Erik’s presentation to his organization in Geneva: "You've shown more than ever that there is no failure except in no longer trying, no defeat except from within, no insurmountable barrier except our own inherent weakness of purpose." That’s a fitting tribute to Erik and his incredible team.
Back to top
Back to list page
Email this Page
